In this episode, NJ.com reporters Bob Badders, Bill Evans and Joe Zedalis are joined by Rutgers wrestling coach Scott Goodale, who picked up a major commitment last week as four-time New Jersey state champion Anthony Knox signed with the program. Goodale discusses recruiting Knox and the timeline for that decision and how it unfolded after Knox decommitted from Cornell. Goodale also talks about the NIL space Rutgers is in, which has been a point of emphasis from athletic director Keli Zinn. Goodale provides updates on his team and what he misses most about coaching high school sports.

0:00: Rutgers head coach Scott Goodale joins the show. He touches on the reaction from Anthony Knox signing with Rutgers and the impact he will have. He joins a list of former four-time New Jersey high school state champions joining Rutgers.

4:45: The possibility of Knox signing with Rutgers after decommitting from Cornell. Family played an important role in Knox staying home after leaving Cornell.

7:30: Any concerns with Knox having scheduled two more appearances in Collingswood Court, and were there any concerns from the athletic department on signing him? And is this a chance for him to write his own ending at Rutgers?

11:45: Signing Knox is a boon for Rutgers because it means that Rutgers should be taken seriously and that Knox’s NIL package, which is reported to be about $200,000, is an important step for the university’s athletic department.

13:35: What does Knox’s arrival mean for future recruits and current wrestlers like Ayden Smith?

16:30: New athletic director Keli Zinn has had a huge impact since she took the job, especially in the NIL space. Goodale said he’s happy with how things are going in NIL, and Zinn has gotten the program to a good place on that end and across the board at the university.

20:20: The transfer portal and the NIL space have changed athletics around the country. It’s become a more transactional sport, and Goodale is continuing to build relationships by recruiting differently.

23:15: The signing of Knox and Rutgers’ commitment to NIL has the potential to change the future outlook of the program. Goodale expects both of those to influence recruiting for the best moving forward.

26:20: Rutgers has been close to beating one of the blue-blood programs, but hasn’t broken through just yet. Does it weigh on Goodale? He said he loves dual meets and thinks his team will be good in a tournament setting. And his approach of not ducking anybody and his take on last season as the team finished 11th in the country.

34:00: What it means for Rutgers to host the team wrestling state championships and the growth of girls’ wrestling around the country. There has been some talk of bringing a women’s wrestling program to Rutgers.

36:30: Recruiting New Jersey and different parts of the country, and the advantages that Rutgers has to recruit in the area and nationally, and Goodale shares his thoughts on the New Jersey high school wrestling season and how it stacks up nationally.

48:30: Southern’s success as a public high school in this day and age, and Doug “Dewey” Withstandley, a Jackson guy, now coaching at Southern. And Goodale’s favorite play call when he was a football coach at Jackson, and what he misses most about coaching high school sports.

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