National Duals mark 'emotional roller coaster' year for Davis

CEDAR FALLS - The last year has been a rocky road for University of Wisconsin wrestling coach Barry Davis.

He's endured personal tragedy with the loss of his brother and having one of his two daughters injured after being struck by a car during the summer.

“It's been an emotional roller coaster,” said Davis, who earned Coach of the Year honors guiding Wisconsin to a school-best fourth-place showing at the 2010 NCAA Championships in Omaha, Neb.

Davis has persevered adversity, continuing to have success as he guided the Badgers to a third-place finish in the NCAA Division I bracket of the Cliff Keen/National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals at the UNI-Dome.

Last year, Davis did not attend the national duals with his team. He helped with search efforts after his older brother, Martin, was missing when he left his Shueyville residence on a snowmobile on Jan. 3, 2010. That day will likely haunt him for awhile.

“The third (of January) is when I got the phone call from my mother that he was missing,” Davis said. “That day will be a tough day for a long time.”

Davis was attending the World Team Trials in Council Bluffs in June when he received a phone call that one of his daughters has severely injured after a car had struck her, breaking her leg. Davis showed the toughness that made the Cedar Rapids native a three-time state champion for Cedar Rapids Prairie and a three-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American for the University of Iowa, but he insisted that didn't have much to do with how he handled either situation.

It was necessary to remain in control, think positive, be thankful for what you have and move forward.

“I say here's the deal guys, you may see some day when something might happen to one of your family members or maybe one of your children, if you can't withstand that blow, hold pieces together, you'll lose everything,” Davis said. “You have to control your thoughts, feelings and keep it together. Make sure you're around the right people.”

Davis hasn't relied on his team for support. He decides to carry that burden. It's a philosophy that he described as being their for others in their area of need and handling his own area of need.

“I don't really bring it to them,” Davis said. “That's my job to handle that situation. Their job is to come to school and get an education. Not for stuff like that.

“I don't bring that upon them.”

Davis, 49, has a picture of Martin on his office desk. He wrestles with memories of the late 52-year-old, whose body was recovered about three months later. He has to control those emotions so he can serve his role as coach, father, husband and son.

It is tougher during competition when he sees his father in attendance without Martin, who was normally by his side.

“My family is very supportive,” Davis said as he wiped tears from his eye. “Every time I see my dad, my brother's not there.”

Wisconsin defending 165-pound national champion Andrew Howe said the team aware of the trials that Davis has gone through over the last year. No one dwells on it, but Davis certainly a model for perseverance.

“It's a good example," Howe said. “He's worked through plenty of hard times, more than he should have to the past year, and he's been here with us.”

Davis had his full attention on the Badgers, who went three 3-1, improving 8-1 overall and advancing to the semifinals before capping Sunday with a 19-17 win over Minnesota.

“It's great to have him here,” Howe said. “He brings a lot of energy. It's good to be able to look in the bench and see his face.”

Things are going well for Davis and his program. The Badgers are experiencing the most success in program history. They were runner-up in the team race at the Midlands Championships at the end of December. Davis has also had some highly-touted recruiting classes.

 “The program is building,” Davis said. “We've got a good young team. We've got some great recruits coming in.

“A lot of positives going on right now.”