Blue White Illustrated

tions beyond his college career. For the long haul, it seems the coaching pyramid will remain intact. It's become increas- ingly common in college sports for coaches to move from one school to the next and for assistants to be routinely replaced, but Cody and Cunningham, whose families have become entrenched in the State College community, don't appear to be going anywhere soon. In a season that has seen high-level job openings arise at places like Pitt, Vir- ginia Tech and even the Sandersons' alma mater Iowa State, there have been no whispers that Cody and Cunningham are looking to move on. Their names were not even mentioned in newspapers' and websites' obligatory hot lists. "They're loyal. They just love what they're doing," Cael said. "I would do anything for them." It's a two-way street, with the assis- tants finding comfort in the freedom that the head coach grants them. As evi- dence, look no further than the 174- pound semifinal bout between freshman Mark Hall and Zahid Valencia of Arizona State. With a spot in the championship round on the line – one that he eventually won – Hall surrendered a third-period take- down and seemed to be on the brink of falling to the consolations. But as he was taken to the mat, something didn't look right to Cunningham. As Valencia brought his Penn State opponent down, Cunningham saw the chinstrap of Hall's headgear slide up around his nose, an in- dication of a technical violation that the referee didn't originally penalize, or see. Without hesitation, Cunningham leapt to his feet and then to the scorers' table to wave (both) challenge flags, arguing that Valencia had illegally, even if inci- dentally, grabbed Hall's equipment. Permission was barely asked of Cael, who sat in the green corner. "Whatever he said, I'm with him," Sanderson said afterward. "So yeah, Cunningham saw it [first]." Upon instant-replay review, the take- down was waived off and Hall eventually prevailed, 4-3. One reason for the win was the rapport that had been developed long before be- tween his coaches. "We spend more time together than we do with our families," Cunningham said. "This is the truth. We [each] know how the other thinks. I knew [Cael] wouldn't question that. I probably should have said, 'Hey, you want to do this?' Maybe I did. I don't remember. I just know [Valen- cia] grabbed the headgear. I just jumped up once I saw it. It's a trust factor." It's a representation of a bond that has been formed not only during daily work- outs in the Lorenzo Wrestling Complex but also upstairs in the offices of 237 Rec Hall. "Behind the doors we can talk about things and maybe disagree on things, but the bottom line is that when we walk out of that office, we're on the same page," Cunningham said. "We're broth- ers, and it's been awesome." Added Cody, "We speak together and we counsel together on a daily basis. We're in a position where we can express our opinions freely and openly as assis- tant coaches. We're encouraged to do that. Cael listens, and both of us have a tremendous amount of influence with Cael. But ultimately, when it comes down to making a decision, he's the one who makes that decision and he's the one who has to live with the decision as a head coach. As assistants we know that, we respect that and we support it." Those conversations aren't always easy, but they're effective. The coaches get it done, because that's what brothers do. "I don't think there are days that we really butt heads," Cunningham said. "We'll scrap on the mat for sure. I call Cael out all the time and he puts me in my place a lot (laughs). But I think that's good and it's healthy. It's not argument. It's being able to talk through things." Working in the highly pressurized world of Division I athletics, they've learned to balance their responsibilities while also taking a lighthearted ap- proach. For Cael and Cody, that's espe- cially important, as sometimes there is even less separation. In a family whose patriarch is one of the best high school wrestling coaches in Utah history, it can be tough to divide family from business. But it's a line that they've learned to toe carefully in order to preserve the working rapport that helps make them so effective. "You can't ever get away from that," Cody said. "I mean, we grew up to- gether, wrestled together and are coach- ing together. It's what we do, but we're very careful about not crossing lines, because when you're that close to some- one things can get sensitive if you're not careful. Our relationship is very impor- tant to us and we guard it preciously." They have their own roles during the holidays, too, even when wrestling isn't involved. "When we're outside of it, we're out- side of it and we just go back to being brothers," Cody said. "We're at Thanks- giving and I make the mashed potatoes and he plays Clash of Clans on the couch, and that's the way it works." It's a bond that is cherished, and it's a brotherhood that also includes Cun- ningham. There's now also another one who is working his way up. Prior to this season, Penn State added a new assistant coach to the lineup, after 2012 national champ Frank Molinaro took a step back to focus on his interna- tional career. With Molinaro competing at the Olympics this past summer (he has since been hired by Virginia Tech), Jake Varner was brought in to take his place. The Sandersons had coached Varner to two NCAA titles at Iowa State and then to a gold medal at the 2012 Games in London. If he wasn't part of the family already, he is now, after finishing his first season as a collegiate coach on a champi- onship-winning squad. Said Cody, "I've referred to him as a little brother to all of us before, and that started when we coached him way back in his college days and watched him and helped him through his Olympic gold medal. Now helping him bridge that gap into a coach, it's fun to watch. He's a smart kid, he's competitive and he wants to learn, so he's in there every day, trying to figure it out." ■

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