Nick Slack finding the positivity amidst brain tumor diagnosis

Mark Manning and the University of Nebraska host North Carolina and Oklahoma State this coming weekend. Let’s hear what Coach Manning has to say in the run-up to the dual, the potential future series with the Cowboys, his relationship with UNC head coach Rob Koll as well as the best Christmas present he ever received. Save $20 on an annual BTN+ subscription! Sign up by going to mattalkonline.com/btnplus and entering promo code MATTALK20 at checkout! Want an ad-free version of the show AND the best in wrestling news from around the world? Sign up for the Daily Wrestling Newsletter presented by Resilite on Substack at https://www.mattalkonline.com/news Links to Follow Join the Discord:https://www.mattalkonline.com/discordDaily Wrestling Newsletter: https://www.mattalkonline.com/newsContribute: https://www.mattalkonline.com/contribute Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattalkonline The Short Time Time Wrestling Podcast is proudly supported by Compound Sportswear: https://www.mattalkonline.com/compound Quick Subscribe: https://www.Podfollow.com/shorttime Short Time Wrestling Podcast: Episode 796 –Recorded December 17, 2025.

A night after Johnson & Wales met fellow Division III powerhouse Augsburg in a dual meet in Minneapolis, coach Lonnie Morris and his squad was back in action at the Auggie Invitational. In this quick eight-minute interview, we'll catch up with Coach Morris to see what things have been like in Providence since JWU won the school's first national title last March. 

The annual App State wrestling media day came and went on Tuesday, October 27. Featured with this year’s Mountaineer squad is head coach JohnMark Bentley and wrestlers Tomas Brooker, Jerry Price, Kaden Keiser and Stephan Monchery. We’ll chat with each as they look forward to another season of SoCon wrestling with some starters to replace and some new goals to reach. Save $20 on an annual BTN+ subscription! Sign up by going to mattalkonline.com/btnplus and entering promo code MATTALK20 at checkout! Want an ad-free version of the show AND the best in wrestling news from around the world? Sign up for the Daily Wrestling Newsletter presented by Resilite on Substack at https://www.mattalkonline.com/news Links to FollowJoin the Discord: https://www.mattalkonline.com/discordDaily Wrestling Newsletter: https://www.mattalkonline.com/newsContribute: https://www.mattalkonline.com/contributePatreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattalkonline The Short Time Time Wrestling Podcast is proudly supported by Compound Sportswear: https://www.mattalkonline.com/compound Quick Subscribe: https://www.Podfollow.com/shorttime Short Time Wrestling Podcast: Episode 793 –Recorded October 27, 2025.

Filmmaker Tony Melanson joins Jason Bryant to discuss his new documentary Iron Maidens: Wrestling for Glory, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.  The film chronicles the rise of girls’ high-school wrestling in Pennsylvania through the stories of North Allegheny’s Leyna Rumpler and Hickory’s Avry Ryhal, two pioneers whose friendship and rivalry unfolded as the state sanctioned girls’ wrestling for the first time.RELATED: Kyle Klingman's interview with Leyna and Avry.  Melanson explains how the project began after following Leyna’s journey as a family friend, how he built trust with high-school athletes unaccustomed to cameras, and how he captured both the human and historical sides of this breakthrough season.  He discusses the challenges of editing a year’s worth of footage into a tight 55-minute feature, the importance of balancing authenticity with clarity for non-wrestling audiences, and the behind-the-scenes choice to use Jocko Willink as narrator. Bryant and Melanson dive into the film’s emotional moments with coaches Dan Heckert and Eric Mount, the archival work from Tom Elling and Jeff Byers’ recreated championship call, and how former World Team member Erin Tomeo connects the trailblazers of the past with today’s generation.  The conversation explores what Iron Maidens means for the continued growth of women’s wrestling in Pennsylvania and nationwide. Save $20 on an annual BTN+ subscription! Sign up by going to mattalkonline.com/btnplus and entering promo code MATTALK20 at checkout! Want an ad-free version of the show AND the best in wrestling news from around the world? Sign up for the Daily Wrestling Newsletter presented by Resilite on Substack at https://www.mattalkonline.com/news Links to FollowJoin the Discord: https://www.mattalkonline.com/discordDaily Wrestling Newsletter: https://www.mattalkonline.com/newsContribute: https://www.mattalkonline.com/contributePatreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattalkonline The Short Time Time Wrestling Podcast is proudly supported by Compound Sportswear: https://www.mattalkonline.com/compound Quick Subscribe: https://www.Podfollow.com/shorttime Short Time Wrestling Podcast: Episode 793 –Recorded October 23, 2025.

Join host Jason Bryant as he talks with 2024 National Wrestling Media Association Journalist of the Year Kyle Klingman on the latest episode of the Short Time Wrestling Podcast. On the run-up to the 2025 World Championships, we revisit the early years recording podcasts in Minnesota basements with Wrestling 411, dive into a shared love of historical deep dives and unearth some interesting facts about the most recent lineup release from Iowa State that Kyle shared on Flowrestling last week. We dive into women’s wrestling’s college history and some of the key things about it, including Kyle’s podcast with co-host Scott Beck, Women’s Wrestling Weekly. Want an ad-free version of the show AND the best in wrestling news from around the world? Sign up for the Daily Wrestling Newsletter presented by Resilite on Substack at https://www.mattalkonline.com/news Links to FollowJoin the Discord: https://www.mattalkonline.com/discordDaily Wrestling Newsletter: https://www.mattalkonline.com/newsContribute: https://www.mattalkonline.com/contributePatreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattalkonline The Short Time Time Wrestling Podcast is proudly supported by Compound Sportswear: https://www.mattalkonline.com/compound Quick Subscribe: https://www.Podfollow.com/shorttime Short Time Wrestling Podcast: Episode 792 –Recorded September 10, 2025.

2000 Division III National Champion Nick Slack is one of the good guys in wrestling. A personable friend and coach, Slack was a three-time Division III finalist at Augsburg and won the 2000 NCAA Division III championship.Setbacks in the finals in 2001 and 2002 didn't define him. He overcame. Just over two years ago, Slack had a brain tumor removed that seemed to resolve his decades-long battle with depression.Then another brain tumor emerged.Links to FollowJoin the Discord: https://www.mattalkonline.com/discord Daily Wrestling Newsletter: https://www.mattalkonline.com/newsContribute: https://www.mattalkonline.com/contributePatreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattalkonlineThe Short Time Time Wrestling Podcast is proudly supported by Compound Sportswear: https://www.mattalkonline.com/compoundQuick Subscribe: https://www.Podfollow.com/shorttime

Some might remember Vinny Barber wrestling in New York for coach Duane Ritter at Oneonta State. Others may remember him as a boisterous figure at Flowrestling. However you may remember the old Vinny Barber, things are a lot different now.After returning to college, finishing his degree and joining the coaching staff at the University of the Ozarks, Barber found himself leading the Division III Arkansas school. Then a new opportunity arose, a chance to start a brand new program at the University of Lynchburg in Virginia.Hear how Vinny’s progressed in coaching and growing professionally.Links to FollowJoin the Discord: https://www.mattalkonline.com/discord Daily Wrestling Newsletter: https://www.mattalkonline.com/newsContribute: https://www.mattalkonline.com/contributePatreon: https://www.patreon.com/mattalkonlineThe Short Time Time Wrestling Podcast is proudly supported by Compound Sportswear: https://www.mattalkonline.com/compoundQuick Subscribe: https://www.Podfollow.com/shorttime

Clete Hanson, newly appointed head coach at Simon Fraser University, talks about his return to the program that shaped much of his wrestling and coaching career. A Washington native and former nationally ranked high school wrestler, Hanson chose SFU for its unique blend of high-level international freestyle influence, academic excellence, and its rare status as a Canadian institution competing in the NCAA.Now, as only the third head coach in program history, he steps into a role once held by coaching legends Mike Jones and Justin Abdou—both of whom played pivotal roles in Hanson’s development.In the interview, Hanson outlines the complexities of recruiting American athletes to a Canadian school, navigating dual academic and athletic standards, and the constant balancing act between freestyle and collegiate folkstyle wrestling. With about 70% of his roster made up of Canadian athletes—most of whom have never competed in folkstyle before—Hanson speaks candidly about the learning curve and the coaching strategies used to bridge that gap. Still, he emphasizes that “wrestling is wrestling,” and believes the transition can be streamlined with focused training and communication.Looking ahead, Hanson’s vision is to elevate SFU’s presence on both the NCAA and Canadian wrestling landscapes.While winning a national team title is an ambitious goal, he sees success in building a program that mirrors the developmental excellence of institutions like Cornell and Lehigh. With deep ties to the Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club and a role as one of Canada’s national training centers, SFU is uniquely positioned to continue producing world-class talent—both on the mat and beyond it.

Division I men’s wrestling only has one current HBCU wrestling program and it’s at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. Central Michigan alum and three-time All-American Jarod Trice is on staff with head coach Kenny Monday and Trice talks about the growth of himself as a coach under Monday, the growth of the program and the unique place Morgan State holds in wrestling.

Nathaneal Rankin was a nationally ranked wrestler and NCAA Division III qualifier in cross country while an athlete at the University of the Ozarks.After his competitive career ended, Rankin served as an assistant coach and this summer, was named the new head coach at the Clarksville, Arkansas school.Check out what led Rankin to Ozarks in the first place, what it was like competing in two sports in college and how near misses now drive him as a coach.