Story byTravis JohnsonTue, March 3, 2026 at 5:37 AM UTC·7 min readCasey Cunningham emerged from Penn State’s weight room in a worn gray sweatshirt and dark blue sweatpants as wrestlers filed past him on their way into practice. The longtime assistant coach locked eyes with each one for a split second, and just as a well-trained soldier might return a salute, they all offered a crisp, respectful nod toward the man Cael Sanderson calls “the heavyweight tamer.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPerhaps deep down, many of them know they’re lucky to have him. Sanderson sure feels that way.“I know every year people are calling,” Sanderson said of other programs attempting to lure Cunningham away from Penn State. “Clay Steadman, who’s our general manager, I’ve heard him say we have the three best head coaches in the country, and I think I would not argue that.”When Sanderson took over at Penn State in 2009, he brought his brother Cody Sanderson and Cunningham with him.