BILLINGS — When the men’s freestyle wrestling begins at the Paris Olympics on Thursday, Montana fans will be watching from nearly every corner of the state.
Part of that is because Montana wrestling fans are very enthusiastic about the sport. However, most of the reason is because the United States national men’s freestyle head coach is Great Falls native Bill Zadick.
“All eyes are on him (Zadick) from the state of Montana during the Olympics,” said Kalispell Flathead head coach Jeff Thompson.
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“We’ll be watching and enjoying it. I feel like we have an amazing freestyle team and I think our chances are good to bring home Olympic golds.”
Zadick, a four-time state wrestling champion for the Great Falls Bison from 1988-91, is the eighth-year head coach for the United States. He has been on the national team’s coaching staff since 2009 and the Paris Games will be his fourth as a coach with the Team USA staff. Zadick became the national freestyle head coach after the 2016 Games, so this will be his second Olympics as head coach. The U.S. men’s freestyle squad consists of a full-six athlete team.
“I have my alarm set for next week when they start,” said current Great Falls High head coach Luis Carranza.
“I’d watch regardless,” Carranza added. “But just knowing he is the head guy makes you watch even more closely than you would.”
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The ‘top dog’
“Oh man, it’s super cool,” said Carranza of Bill Zadick leading Team USA in Paris. “Just seeing him on the wall (Zadick’s picture is displayed in the Great Falls wrestling room) and knowing he was a Bison and put in work in our program is super unique and special.”
“We talk about him during our season and tell the kids they are lucky to follow in the footsteps of Bill, who is the top dog right now. The kids love seeing his picture on the wall, especially the freshmen; they gravitate towards it.”
Zadick, a 2006 Senior World champion and NCAA Division I titlist for Iowa in 1996, led the U.S. squad at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 as all five men’s freestyle qualifiers won medals.
“It’s awesome Bill has been the head coach for this long,” said Billings West head coach Jeremy Hernandez. “He’s done a great job. It makes every Montana wrestling coach proud Bill Zadick is the head coach of Team USA and to go win the Olympics is a neat thing.”
Hernandez, who roots for Iowa and whose son Keyan will be on the Hawkeyes this coming season, said of course he’ll be tuned in to cheer Zadick and Team USA on.
Wrestling begins Monday at Champ de Mars Arena in Paris and concludes Sunday, Aug. 11. However, the men’s freestyle competition starts on Thursday. According to the USA Wrestling Media Gude, every match will be available to watch on NBC’s subscription-based Peacock streaming services. Select sessions will be available to view on the USA Network and various NBC-affiliated stations and those interested should check their local listings.
“We’ll watch it of course. It’s at odd times as they are so ahead of us, it’s on early in the morning,” Hernandez said referencing the different time zones with the Olympics being held in Paris. “So, we’ll catch the replays. Heck yeah, we’ll watch Team USA and see the best guys compete.”
‘As big as it gets’
The buzz surrounding Zadick coaching the United States freestyle team at the Olympics is also being felt in Glasgow. The United States men’s freestyle team has won consecutive World team titles entering the competition. Zadick also led the 2017 United States team to a Senior World title.
“I think it is great for Montana,” said Glasgow wrestling coach Jory Casterline. “Bill does a great job. The Zadick family I have the upmost respect for the whole family. It’s just great seeing what he (Bill Zadick) does on the big scene. To us coaches in Montana, that’s as big as it gets.”
Casterline said prior to the Glasgow wrestling camp that was held Saturday through Monday that he would be talking to the approximately 200 wrestlers in attendance about Zadick coaching Team USA.
“That will be talked about in camp,” he said.
Thompson was a teammate of Zadick’s throughout high school and graduated from Great Falls High with Zadick in 1991. A three-time state champion himself, Thompson went on to wrestle at Minnesota. Now as a coach of a perennial state title contender in Montana, Thompson admires what Zadick has done on the international stage.
“I would say we are friends. It is tough when you get older to keep in touch as much as you’d like, but it’s always nice to see him,” Thompson said of Zadick. “I’m proud of what he’s accomplished. He’s a class act.”
Zadick’s bio in the USA Wrestling Media Guide states that “during his stretch as USA Wrestling’s developmental coach from 2011-14, Zadick helped build the United States into a world power in men’s freestyle on the age-group levels.”
Thompson said Zadick’s ability to help wrestlers become the best they can be is remarkable.
