Seven candidates to replace Chris Bono at South Dakota State

Chris Bono’s departure from South Dakota State was a blow to the Jackrabbits’ burgeoning wrestling program, and while SDSU fans knew as soon as Bono built their team into a contender the day would come, the news Saturday that he’d been named the new coach at Wisconsin probably came a tad earlier than Jacks fans were hoping or expecting.

Complicating matters is that Bono is taking top assistant Jon Reader with him to Madison. Reader would've been a candidate to replace Bono -- certainly he would’ve been the fans choice.

With all due respect to Reader, however, I think his decision to follow Bono to Wisconsin is the right one. No doubt Reader has the skills, knowledge and charisma to lead a program, but the time might not be right just yet. Bono has talked about his experience in the private sector teaching him how to be a ‘CEO’, and Reader might need more time to develop that.

So where does that leave SDSU? The cupboard is well-stocked with wrestlers, but with the personal imprint Bono made on the program, Brookings, and the wrestling community in South Dakota, the Jacks will, in some ways, be starting over.

More: Chris Bono leaves South Dakota State wrestling for Wisconsin Badgers

I’m far from a tuned-in wrestling observer, so it’s very possible – likely, even – that Justin Sell will end up hiring someone I’ve not considered or even heard of. From what I'm told, there were some fairly big names to throw their hat in the ring last time, and Bono obviously just made the job that much more attractive.

Here are seven names that could be in the mix. To be clear, this is purely educated speculation on my part, no inside info was provided to me.

More: Jacked up: South Dakota State wrestling reaches new heights under Chris Bono

Kyle Ruschell, Wisconsin assistant

With Bono bringing his staff to Madison, Ruschell could be out of a job.

Could he replace the guy hastening his departure? He could be a good fit. Ruschell was to Wisconsin what Reader was to the Jacks, a young assistant coach who still competes – Ruschell won gold at the Pan-American championships in 2017.

The 30-year-old Ruschell was a two-time All-American at 149 for the Badgers and has been on their staff for seven seasons. He was tabbed by his home state of Kentucky to speak at the state capital as part of the “Save Olympic Wrestling” campaign.

Damion Hahn, Cornell associate head coach

A two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American as a Golden Gopher, Hahn has been on the staff for the Big Red since 2006, helping them to 11 Ivy League titles. A wrestling legend in his home state of New Jersey, it would likely be tough for the Jacks to lure him away from the area, but the 37-year-old has never been a head coach…

Steve Costanzo, St. Cloud State head coach

You won’t find a more impressive resume. Costanzo has won four national championships – the NAIA title in 2006 with Dana, and three of the last four Division II titles at St. Cloud State.

The Huskies’ dual record over the last seven years is 130-5, including 55-0 in NSIC duals.

They haven’t lost a conference dual in eight years.

As a wrestler himself, Costanzo competed for Nebraska-Omaha, the now-defunct former Division II power. He was a three-time All-American with the Mavericks.

Costanzo is about the same age as Bono, but has said in the past he has no aspirations of leaving St. Cloud to coach at the Division I level. That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t listen if the Jacks reached out.

Costanzo’s resume speaks for itself, the question is whether he has the personality to sell the program the way Bono did.

Ryan Morningstar, Iowa assistant

An All-American wrestler with the Hawkeyes, Morningstar began his coaching career at Wisconsin before joining Tom Brands’ staff in 2012.

With Brands’ brother, Terry, serving as associate head coach of the Hawkeyes, the 31-year-old Morningstar could be more inclined to pursue a mid-major job than some other power program assistants.

Mike Zadick, Iowa State associate head coach

Hiring a Cyclone assistant worked well once for SDSU, maybe they’ll go back to the same well.

Zadick, another former Hawkeye wrestler, was a three-time All-American, then coached at Iowa as an assistant before ultimately being replaced by Morningstar. He then served two years at Virginia Tech before joining Kevin Dresser’s staff at ISU.

The 40-year-old Zadick has never been a head coach, but he does have an amazing beard.

Bryan Snyder, Nebraska associate head coach

No. 1 all-time in Husker wrestling history in winning percentage (.925), Snyder just finished his eighth season as Nebraska assistant and fifth as associate head coach after prior stints at Arizona State and Harvard.

He holds three degrees from Nebraska, including a PhD in sociology. If he were to become the Jacks’ next coach, I would enjoy calling him Dr. Snyder.

Snyder, 38, might well be in line to replace Husker coach Mark Manning, who’s been leading Nebraska since 2000. That could make him inclined to stay in Lincoln and wait for that day, but he could also see a chance to run the Jacks as the final step in preparing to be Manning’s successor.

Doug Schwab, Northern Iowa head coach

A longshot, as Schwab is Iowa through-and-through. A three-time All-American for the Hawkeyes, he spent two years as a Hawkeye assistant before coming to Cedar Falls. You’d have to assume it would be tough for any school not named Iowa or Iowa State to pull Schwab away from the Panthers, especially a fellow mid-major.

The 40-year-old Schwab is under contract with UNI through 2021 after signing a 7-year extension in 2014, but his base salary of $115,000 is less than the $130,000 Bono was being paid by SDSU.

Schwab’s contract includes a $100,000 buyout to leave for another job. But who knows, with Justin Sell’s ties to Northern Iowa, maybe he’d make a run at the 1999 NCAA champion.