Athletor

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South Dakota State head coach Damion Hahn helped lead five programs out of the Big 12 and into a rebuilt Pac-12. In this one he breaks down why that move happened, how he is rebuilding the Jackrabbits after an injury-hit season, and the contrarian weight philosophy that took him from a worn-down 184-pounder to a two-time national champ at 197. 🔗 Championship Fundraising Challenge - Raise your first $500 in 2 weeks or your money back: https://www.athletorlive.com/product/championship-fundraising-challenge 🔗 Full Championship Fundraising Course: https://www.athletorlive.com/product/championship-fundraising-course ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 - Introduction 0:55 - Why SDSU spearheaded the jump to the Pac-12 4:19 - Hosting the conference tournament and a real regular-season title 14:56 - Rebuilding from 41st: development over star power 21:56 - Leaders in the room: Kale Swenson and Drake Rhodes 28:30 - Build them up, don't cut them down: Hahn's weight philosophy 45:05 - Elite facilities, but no substitute for hard work 50:27 - Rapid fire and the one thing he'd change about college wrestling 📋 ABOUT THIS EPISODE Damion Hahn is a two-time NCAA champion out of Minnesota, a New Jersey wrestling legend from Lakewood, and now the head coach at South Dakota State. He sits down with host Mike Malinconico to talk through SDSU's move to the Pac-12, what full conference membership unlocks for a wrestling program, and why hosting a conference tournament matters. He also makes a detailed case for building wrestlers up in weight instead of cutting them down, using Cade DeVos, the Moses twins, Tommy Dineen, and his own career as proof. If you coach, recruit, or care about folkstyle development, weight management, and the future of college wrestling, this one is for you. 🎙️ ABOUT ATHLETOR PODCAST The Athletor Podcast brings you conversations with the coaches, athletes, and minds shaping wrestling. Subscribe for new episodes weekly. 🔗 CONNECT YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXjsj-4x50ZVLOvSjaUEM9A Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athletor.live/ X: https://x.com/athletor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/athletor.live/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@athletor

Ep. 0175

Stop Cutting Weight: Damion Hahn's Case for Wrestling Up

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