North Carolina State University Athletics
Kosoy Hoping Patience Pays Off for Senior Campaign
6/28/2016 11:02:00 AM | Wrestling
RALEIGH, N.C. - Fifth-year senior Mike Kosoy has experienced a lot at NC State. Recruited by the previous NC State wrestling coach staff, Kosoy had to endure a lot of what-ifs before he even stepped onto campus in the summer of 2012.
He stuck to his commitment to NC State and the wrestling team, and was the Pack's starter at heavyweight for the 2012-13 season, the first for head coach Pat Popolizio. But waiting in the wings and taking a redshirt year was Nick Gwiazdowski, who reached the NCAA finals in all three of his seasons, including winning back-to-back NCAA titles.
Kosoy was patient, first redshirting in 2013-14, and then spending the last two seasons as Gwiazdowski's workout partner. Now it is Kosoy's turn to once again claim the stating spot at heavyweight for the Wolfpack, in this is final season.
GoPack.com recently caught up with Kosoy for an offseason Q&A.
Q: How did you decide on NC State coming out of high school in Florida?
Kosoy: The right opportunity presented itself really. I played football in high school, and that was my main sport. Freshman year I guess you can say I got pushed into the wrestling room by my football coaches. Going into my senior year I had some Division I football offers (playing defensive end and a 'short yardage' fullback). But that season we got a new football coach and he didn't want me to wrestle anymore, and just to focus on football and my offers. I knew I wanted to wrestle in college, so I went to some national tournaments and started to get wrestling offers. NC State was obviously one of those, and I really liked it when I came here.
Q: You were actually recruited and committed under the previous coaching staff. How was the transition for you going through a coaching change before you even arrived on campus?
Kosoy: It was such a stressful time. An entire different staff then the one here now was recruiting me, and then I get a phone call sometime in the summer before I was to come up here, telling me a new coach was coming in. I knew nothing about Pat (Popolizio) so I was a bit shocked and stressed about it. Pat would call me and the conversation did not go great to be honest. He walked into a situation where the program here might not of been doing the things he as a coach wanted it to, so he might of been under the impression that since I committed here I'm probably not interested in doing the right things as he sees it. Those might of not been the greatest phone conversations until I got here. They already had Nick (Gwiazdowski) coming in at heavyweight, so Pat offered to sign my release if I wanted to go somewhere else. We didn't know what each other was about, but we grew on each other and everything turned out right.
Q: You came in and was the Pack's starter at heavyweight as a freshman, what was that experience like?
Kosoy: It was a good experience, I think I needed it. Initially, the old coaching staff was going to have me redshirt but things changed pretty quick when I got here. Nick (Gwiazdowski) was going to redshirt his first year here, and I was going to get thrown in. It was a rocky start because the transition from high school to college wrestling was really different. I ended up finishing strong, I took third at the ACC Championship, and was one match away from qualifying for the NCAAs. It was a good experience for me.
Q: You wrestled in the lineup as a true freshman, and the last three years you've seen action in tournaments and some duals, and also trained with two-time NCAA Champion Nick Gwiazdowski. Which part of your career do you think has been more beneficial?
Kosoy: You can be the best practice guy and train with the best guys in the practice room, but if you've never put on that singlet and gone out there and competed then you don't get the full experience. I always say that I needed both of those parts of my career, the experience starting and also training with the best guy in the country. They were both good experiences, and hopefully set me up for a strong final season.
Q: How do you replace Nick (Gwiazdowski)?
Kosoy: You go out there and win. The goal hasn't changed at the position, just the guy. I'm ready to step in and do what I have to do to get the job done. We have grown on each other, and we have trained with each other for over three years now. I have picked up a lot from him, if there is anybody to learn from its definitely him. I'm sure wrestling me in practice benefited both of us, I think we are both the type of 'hybrid' heavyweights, guys who can move, score multiple times in a match and attack. Hopefully that is the style of wrestling I bring to the team this year. I will continue to train with him this year as he is staying in Raleigh, but you also need different partners to give you different looks. We have multiple guys I can train and workout with now, so the depth we have is a huge plus.
Q: You have waited three years to get back into the lineup, how much patience did that take?
Kosoy: I was given the opportunity to leave if I thought that would have been the best thing for myself. I came in thinking I would start that first year, then possible move on. But me and Pat (Popolizio) met and he told me he knew I was going to be good, and that if I trusted him and waited my turn and trusted in the process, that my time here would not be wasted and I would get better as a college wrestler. I redshirted my sophomore year, and then it just clicked in and I really saw the vision these coaches have and I really wanted to stay because I knew how good we would be.
Q: Losing Nick (Gwiazdowski) and Tommy Gantt as the two seniors from last year's squad, how do you transition into a role of being one of the team leaders in the locker room?
Kosoy: That is a role I want. As far as proving it on the mat, I haven't had that chance yet. But from a social and life standpoint I think I have proven that I'm a guy you call about anything, and I'm willing to help anybody, anyway I can. I've graduated in four years, and I'm about to start a Master's program while wrestling this final season, so I think I have a lot of life experience where I can help our younger guys. I'm ready to fill that role for this team.
Q: What is the rest of your summer going to be like before practice picks back up?
Kosoy: As far as tournaments, we are done at this point. Training is never done, so I will continue that and get ready for my final season.
Q: You are a Science, Technology & Society major, what exactly is that and what kind of job are you looking at coming out of college.
Kosoy: If I had a penny for every time somebody asked me exactly what that major is. I was a human biology major, and that was on track for med school. It was really tough to maintain the level of grades you would need to get into med school. I didn't really want to go to med school, my goal was to be a chiropractor or a physician's assistant. STS allowed me the freedom in the classes that I picked, that way I could gear them towards the additional schooling that I wanted. I have a sports science minor, and now I'm working towards a Masters in Physiology, so I'll have everything I need for my specialty school once I leave NC State.
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He stuck to his commitment to NC State and the wrestling team, and was the Pack's starter at heavyweight for the 2012-13 season, the first for head coach Pat Popolizio. But waiting in the wings and taking a redshirt year was Nick Gwiazdowski, who reached the NCAA finals in all three of his seasons, including winning back-to-back NCAA titles.
Kosoy was patient, first redshirting in 2013-14, and then spending the last two seasons as Gwiazdowski's workout partner. Now it is Kosoy's turn to once again claim the stating spot at heavyweight for the Wolfpack, in this is final season.
GoPack.com recently caught up with Kosoy for an offseason Q&A.
Q: How did you decide on NC State coming out of high school in Florida?
Kosoy: The right opportunity presented itself really. I played football in high school, and that was my main sport. Freshman year I guess you can say I got pushed into the wrestling room by my football coaches. Going into my senior year I had some Division I football offers (playing defensive end and a 'short yardage' fullback). But that season we got a new football coach and he didn't want me to wrestle anymore, and just to focus on football and my offers. I knew I wanted to wrestle in college, so I went to some national tournaments and started to get wrestling offers. NC State was obviously one of those, and I really liked it when I came here.
Q: You were actually recruited and committed under the previous coaching staff. How was the transition for you going through a coaching change before you even arrived on campus?
Kosoy: It was such a stressful time. An entire different staff then the one here now was recruiting me, and then I get a phone call sometime in the summer before I was to come up here, telling me a new coach was coming in. I knew nothing about Pat (Popolizio) so I was a bit shocked and stressed about it. Pat would call me and the conversation did not go great to be honest. He walked into a situation where the program here might not of been doing the things he as a coach wanted it to, so he might of been under the impression that since I committed here I'm probably not interested in doing the right things as he sees it. Those might of not been the greatest phone conversations until I got here. They already had Nick (Gwiazdowski) coming in at heavyweight, so Pat offered to sign my release if I wanted to go somewhere else. We didn't know what each other was about, but we grew on each other and everything turned out right.
Q: You came in and was the Pack's starter at heavyweight as a freshman, what was that experience like?
Kosoy: It was a good experience, I think I needed it. Initially, the old coaching staff was going to have me redshirt but things changed pretty quick when I got here. Nick (Gwiazdowski) was going to redshirt his first year here, and I was going to get thrown in. It was a rocky start because the transition from high school to college wrestling was really different. I ended up finishing strong, I took third at the ACC Championship, and was one match away from qualifying for the NCAAs. It was a good experience for me.
Q: You wrestled in the lineup as a true freshman, and the last three years you've seen action in tournaments and some duals, and also trained with two-time NCAA Champion Nick Gwiazdowski. Which part of your career do you think has been more beneficial?
Kosoy: You can be the best practice guy and train with the best guys in the practice room, but if you've never put on that singlet and gone out there and competed then you don't get the full experience. I always say that I needed both of those parts of my career, the experience starting and also training with the best guy in the country. They were both good experiences, and hopefully set me up for a strong final season.
Q: How do you replace Nick (Gwiazdowski)?
Kosoy: You go out there and win. The goal hasn't changed at the position, just the guy. I'm ready to step in and do what I have to do to get the job done. We have grown on each other, and we have trained with each other for over three years now. I have picked up a lot from him, if there is anybody to learn from its definitely him. I'm sure wrestling me in practice benefited both of us, I think we are both the type of 'hybrid' heavyweights, guys who can move, score multiple times in a match and attack. Hopefully that is the style of wrestling I bring to the team this year. I will continue to train with him this year as he is staying in Raleigh, but you also need different partners to give you different looks. We have multiple guys I can train and workout with now, so the depth we have is a huge plus.
Q: You have waited three years to get back into the lineup, how much patience did that take?
Kosoy: I was given the opportunity to leave if I thought that would have been the best thing for myself. I came in thinking I would start that first year, then possible move on. But me and Pat (Popolizio) met and he told me he knew I was going to be good, and that if I trusted him and waited my turn and trusted in the process, that my time here would not be wasted and I would get better as a college wrestler. I redshirted my sophomore year, and then it just clicked in and I really saw the vision these coaches have and I really wanted to stay because I knew how good we would be.
Q: Losing Nick (Gwiazdowski) and Tommy Gantt as the two seniors from last year's squad, how do you transition into a role of being one of the team leaders in the locker room?
Kosoy: That is a role I want. As far as proving it on the mat, I haven't had that chance yet. But from a social and life standpoint I think I have proven that I'm a guy you call about anything, and I'm willing to help anybody, anyway I can. I've graduated in four years, and I'm about to start a Master's program while wrestling this final season, so I think I have a lot of life experience where I can help our younger guys. I'm ready to fill that role for this team.
Q: What is the rest of your summer going to be like before practice picks back up?
Kosoy: As far as tournaments, we are done at this point. Training is never done, so I will continue that and get ready for my final season.
Q: You are a Science, Technology & Society major, what exactly is that and what kind of job are you looking at coming out of college.
Kosoy: If I had a penny for every time somebody asked me exactly what that major is. I was a human biology major, and that was on track for med school. It was really tough to maintain the level of grades you would need to get into med school. I didn't really want to go to med school, my goal was to be a chiropractor or a physician's assistant. STS allowed me the freedom in the classes that I picked, that way I could gear them towards the additional schooling that I wanted. I have a sports science minor, and now I'm working towards a Masters in Physiology, so I'll have everything I need for my specialty school once I leave NC State.
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