North of the Border: Clete Hanson’s Vision for Simon Fraser Wrestling

Clete Hanson, newly appointed head coach at Simon Fraser University, talks about his return to the program that shaped much of his wrestling and coaching career. A Washington native and former nationally ranked high school wrestler, Hanson chose SFU for its unique blend of high-level international freestyle influence, academic excellence, and its rare status as a Canadian institution competing in the NCAA. Now, as only the third head coach in program history, he steps into a role once held by coaching legends Mike Jones and Justin Abdou—both of whom played pivotal roles in Hanson’s development.In the interview, Hanson outlines the complexities of recruiting American athletes to a Canadian school, navigating dual academic and athletic standards, and the constant balancing act between freestyle and collegiate folkstyle wrestling. With about 70% of his roster made up of Canadian athletes—most of whom have never competed in folkstyle before—Hanson speaks candidly about the learning curve and the coaching strategies used to bridge that gap. Still, he emphasizes that “wrestling is wrestling,” and believes the transition can be streamlined with focused training and communication.Looking ahead, Hanson’s vision is to elevate SFU’s presence on both the NCAA and Canadian wrestling landscapes. While winning a national team title is an ambitious goal, he sees success in building a program that mirrors the developmental excellence of institutions like Cornell and Lehigh. With deep ties to the Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club and a role as one of Canada’s national training centers, SFU is uniquely positioned to continue producing world-class talent—both on the mat and beyond it. Want an ad-free version of the show AND the best in wrestling news from around the world? Sign up for the Daily Wrestling Newsletter presented by Resilite on Substack at Links to Follow Join the Discord: Daily Wrestling Newsletter: Contribute: Patreon: The Short Time Time Wrestling Podcast is proudly supported by Compound Sportswear: Quick

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North of the Border: Clete Hanson’s Vision for Simon Fraser Wrestling is an episode from Short Time Wrestling Podcast | The biggest names in College, High School and Olympic Wrestling | Mat Talk Podcast Network by Jason Bryant.

This episode is 15:16 long.

This episode was published on Aug 4, 2025.

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