UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Cael Sanderson was a college wrestling legend at Iowa State.

He never lost a match, going 159-0 en route to capturing four NCAA titles. He also won a freestyle gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

In April, Penn State pulled off one of the biggest shockers in college wrestling history, hiring Sanderson away from his coaching position at his alma mater.

More than halfway through his first season as the Nittany Lions' boss, Sanderson has leaned on a coaching icon -- 83-year-old Hall of Fame football coach Joe Paterno -- for his input.

Sanderson, 30, said he has talked to Paterno a few times since arriving on campus, but he is hoping for a more extensive sit-down after the season.

"Anybody, I think, would just be ecstatic if they had an opportunity to sit down and pick Joe Paterno's brain, and I'm no different," Sanderson said.

"I'm not sure how many chances I'll get. He's just a busy man, not only being the head of one of the top football programs in the country, but being a national celebrity-type figure.

"He's helped us with recruits. He's met with them. He knows wrestling and he knows what's going on with the program, which is neat."

Sanderson, a Utah native, said it doesn't matter what area of the country you live in, "football is king."

"But, those same fans and that same passion that go into the football program here, it could trickle down into wrestling as long as we start doing well," he said.

"We're tying to win national championships and be the best team in the East, like the football team is. We got a lot of work to do. Talk is very cheap. We got to get out there and perform."

Sanderson's Lions (9-5-1, 1-2 Big Ten) were ranked No. 13 in the NWCA/USA Today coaches' poll. The Lions lost a dual meet Friday night at No. 1 Iowa (17-0, 3-0), 29-6.

Penn State is one of eight Big Ten teams ranked in the Top 25, and six Lions appear in the latest individual rankings released by Intermat.

Sanderson brought his two brothers -- assistant coach Cody and senior 157-pounder Cyler (21-3 and ranked No. 5) -- and assistant coach Casey Cunningham along with him from Iowa State.

Sanderson is redshirting his entire freshman class -- considered to be one of the best recruiting classes in the country.

That group includes two-time PIAA champion Jake Kemerer from Hempfield High School, who originally committed to Oklahoma. Quentin Wright, an All-American last year as a freshman, also is sitting out, along with David Taylor, a four-time Ohio state champion and the country's top recruit a year ago.

"I haven't set a specific goal saying this is when we want to win," Sanderson said. "We want to be the very best we can be with whatever we have. We want to see this year how far we can get up in the team race and get guys into the national finals.

"We're not trying to get in the Top 10. We're not trying to get in the Top 5. We're trying to win it all."

Penn State, which has crowned 21 national champions, including three two-time winners, captured its only team NCAA title in 1953.

The wrestling program enjoyed its heyday under former All-American Rich Lorenzo from 1979-92.

In 14 seasons, Lorenzo's teams had 11 Top-10 finishes, 33 All-Americans, 11 NCAA finalists and five national champions. He won 11 consecutive Eastern Wrestling League crowns.

Although he liked former coach Troy Sunderland, who went 115-90-2 with four Top-10 finishes in 11 years before resigning, Paterno lauded the hiring of Sanderson. His Iowa State team finished third at the NCAA championships last year and compiled a 44-10 record during his three-year tenure.

"Obviously, he's a fantastic competitor and I think it's a good move," Paterno said.

"I think Penn State wrestling should be right there on top. I'm delighted. I hope he can get us right back where we were."

Sanderson signed four highly touted wrestlers during the early signing period in November, including West Mifflin senior Sam Sherlock, a PIAA champion last year who recently had a season-ending knee injury.

Two other PIAA champions from the WPIAL -- senior Frank Martellotti from Shady Side Academy and junior Nico Megaludis from Franklin Regional -- also have verbally committed to wrestle for Sanderson in the future.

"Cael's got a goal; he's got a vision of where he sees this program going," said assistant coach Troy Letters, who won two PIAA titles at Shaler and an NCAA crown at Lehigh. "He's going to make it happen. There's no doubt."

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