ISU wrestler Jon Reader has his passport and is leaving Ames tomorrow.

Reader is flying to Maracaibo, Venezuela, for the Pan-American Wrestling Championship. When he returns, the sophomore hopes to have a new coach.

Since former head coach Cael Sanderson left for Penn State last weekend, several ISU wrestlers have considered leaving with him.

“I don’t want to leave this place,” said Reader, who placed fourth at the NCAA Tournament in March. “I love this place and I’ve been here three years. I’m planning on continuing my education here.”

Reader’s final decision won’t be made until after the head coach is selected, however, and the status of several starters and recruits is uncertain as the search continues.

Reader said “supposedly mid-next week” a new coach will have been selected but “the process is kind of up in the air because they don’t tell us anything.”

Last Saturday, the team met with senior associate athletic director David Harris, who sought out thoughts and opinions from the team about the coaching search.

Personality and other traits were discussed, but the athletic department may be in a no-win situation.

Reader said Sanderson and his staff were the best coaches in the country and “we want that again.”

Junior Nick Gallick (141) said the last week has been difficult on him.

“We had the perfect situation – the perfect coaches, so if it’s possible we want what we had,” Gallick said. “So that’s really what we’re looking for in a coach. We’re looking for someone who’s out for our best interest. We don’t want someone who just wants to win by one.”

Gallick said he thought the rest of the team is planning on staying, but he doesn’t know “what everybody else is doing.”

At his introduction ceremony on Monday, Cael Sanderson said it’s important for the team to “stick together and finish what they started.” Several upperclassmen said they are staying, but junior Cyler Sanderson (157) still has a difficult decision to make.

His oldest brother, Cody, said Cyler is thinking about whether he’ll stay or go.

“I’m sorry that this is something that he has to deal with,” said Cody, who has been and will be Cael’s top assistant coach. “I’m sorry that this is something all these guys have to deal with, you know, [but] especially him. Because not only is he losing his coach potentially, you know, his big brothers are going to be going somewhere else.

“So there is added pressure for him to make that decision. In the last 24 hours alone, I’ve had at least a dozen people call me, text me, email me, asking me what he’s going to do and giving opinions on what he should do,” he said. “So I know a lot of people are wanting him to stay.”

Cody said he’s not going to “push” Cyler either way.

“What I’m going to try to do is listen to him, and let him bounce ideas and thoughts of me, and let him get his mind clear, so he can make the best decision possible,” Cody said. “Because it’s going to be tough on him. He’s loyal. He loves the guys on the team — he’s a Cyclone. But those family ties are pretty tough, too.”

Cyler was unavailable for comment. Junior Jake Varner (197) declined to be interviewed.

Cody Sanderson said he wants to see Iowa State win a national title next season, adding “and that’s not superficial.” He said he’ll be staying around Ames for several weeks before joining Cael at Penn State.

“We’ve got several guys competing this weekend and preparing for the World Team Trials, and guys that are kind of caught in the middle of all this,” Cody said. “I’d like to do as much as I can to make sure they transition as smoothly as possible, and when the new coach gets here, they can greet him and take off and not look back too much.”

“It’s good to get a few more practices in with these guys — go take down a couple of ’em before I go, give them something to remember me by,” Cody said.

Possible candidates for Iowa State wrestling coach

Chris Bono — The Tennesse-Chatanooga head coach applied for the job, according to The Des Moines Register, and recruited many of the current ISU wrestlers as an assistant for Bobby Douglas.

Terry Brands  — The Iowa assistant coach and brother of Iowa head coach Tom Brands has reportedly been contacted by Iowa State in regards to the vacant position, according to the Waterloo Courier. Brands was a US National Freestyle assistant coach, the Tennesee-Chatanooga head coach and assistant with Nebraska.

Dan Gable — The 60-year-old legend established a dynasty at Iowa after wrestling at Iowa State. He hasn’t firmly denied that he wants the job, though he said it’d be difficult for him to stay for long.

Kevin Jackson   — Jackson won a gold medal in 1992 and joined Iowa State as a senior in 1986 after the Louisiana State program was dropped. The father of four has been a US National Team coach since 1998, and was the head coach from 2001 until 2008.  He resigned his position to become the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club coach. Sanderson endorsed Jackson by name when speaking to the media last Friday.

Zeke Jones  — Jones was the coach for Pennsylvania University before taking over for Jackson as the US Freestyle National team head coach in 2008. The Arizona State alumni was a three-time All-American under Douglas.

Rob Koll — The Cornell head coach has led a strong program over the past 16 years. Koll has coached five national champions and 31 All-Americans at a school with high academic standards.

Jim Zalesky — The Oregon State head coach won three NCAA team championships at Iowa over his nine-year tenure. Zalesky was a four-time All-American and three-time NCAA Champion, but may now be a tough sell to in-state recruits.