GREAT FALLS — The Zadick Brothers wrestling camp continues in Great Falls and it’s a respite of sorts for Bill Zadick, the head coach of the USA freestyle team.
“It’s a great excuse for me to be able to come back to Montana and see family and friends and combine my love of family and friends with the sport that has been very good to me,” Zadick said. “And it’s great to do something positive for Montana and the sport of wrestling.”
He flew in to Great Falls on Sunday night from New Jersey where the first leg of the Final X world team qualifying tournament was held at Rutgers. And he’ll fly directly to Lincoln, Nebraska on Friday for the second leg.
The summer will be spent getting the USA freestyle team ready for the World Championships set for September in Kazakhstan. That’s also the same month Zadick and his wife are expecting their first child.
And if it comes down to it, Zadick is choosing family first.
“We have two or three contingency plans kind of laid out for Kazakhstan,” he said. “We have great personal coaches and my support staff, so if I’m not able to go to Kazakhstan because of our baby and my wife, these guys will be in good hands, they’ll be well prepared. And at that point, the hay is in the barn.”
Since taking over Team USA in 2016, Zadick has helped briing American freestyle wrestling to new heights. He led the team to a world title in 2017, the first for the USA since 1995, and a second-place finish in 2018.
“It doesn’t really matter who’s sitting in their corner at that point. They’re professional athletes, they know how to take care of business. They’ve been successful at all levels, and they’ll go get the job done,” Zadick said. “I hope that I can be there. If not, I’ll be happy to be home for the birth of my child and have a healthy baby and a healthy mom.”
