#PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast

The calendar has turned to March and the NCAA Wrestling season has turned to the postseason. On episode #148 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast co-host Brian Reinhardt is joined by R-Jr. Jackson Arrington as the duo talks about this weekend's 2026 ACC Championship taking place at Virginia Tech. Unfortunately Arrington will not be on the mat for the Wolfpack, as he has been out this year due to...

Top-10 battle in Raleigh this weekend, as #8 NC State will host #7 Virginia Tech Friday night inside a PACKed Reynolds Coliseum crowd. On episode #147 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast, head coach Pat Popolizio breaks down some of the matches for this highly anticipated dual. Co-host Brian Reinhardt is then joined by freshman Will Denny, who has made his way into the top-10 at 165 pounds in hi...

ACC Duals begin Friday night as the NC State Wolfpack host Virginia inside Reynolds Coliseum. On episode #146 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast, co-host Brian Reinhardt and head coach Pat Popolizio give a midseason report on the program. While the Pack recently added an NCAA Qualifier to its lineup as a midseason transfer, NC State also suffered a season-ending injury to one of its middle weig...

On episode #145 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast, co-host Brian Reinhardt visits with the newest member of the Wolfpack squad, transfer Patrick Brophy Brophy just joined the Pack after the first semester and will see action at 197 pounds this year. The duo talk about Brophy only starting to take up wrestling in high school, to his time at The Citadel to deciding to transfer to NC State and mo...

The 2025-26 NC State Wrestling season is swiftly moving along as we head into second semester action. Co-host Brian Reinhardt and Wolfpack head coach Pat Popolizio go over some News & Notes from the early action and focus on the upcoming weekend slate on episode #144 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast. #packmentality   #wolfpackwrestling   #ncstatewrestling   #wrestlingpodcast SUBSCRIBE TO...

On episode #143 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast, co-host Brian Reinhardt visits with old/new member of the Wolfpack squad, 184-pounder Don Cates. The Durham, N.C., product, Cates originally joined the Pack in the shortened COVID season of 2020-21. After competing for three seasons, he decided to step away from the sport altogether and was working full-time. But with a need at the upperweight...

The 2025-26 NC State Wrestling season is in full swing, as the Wolfpack heads to Tulsa this weekend to compete at the National Duals. First-time podcast guest, R-So. Koy Buesgens, joins us on episode #142 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast to talk about his experiences with the Pack. Born in Tennessee and then moving to Minnesota, Buesgens has adapted to life in Raleigh. The computer science ma...

NC State opens its dual season with Northern Colorado on Saturday at 6 PM inside Reynolds Coliseum. Co-host Brian Reinhardt and Wolfpack head coach Pat Popolizio go weight-by-weight for a season preview for the 2025-26 NC State squad on episode #141 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast. #packmentality   #wolfpackwrestling   #ncstatewrestling   #wrestlingpodcast SUBSCRIBE TO #PACKMENTALITY POP-INS...

With the 2025-26 NC State Wrestling season right around the corner, we visit with 2025 All-American Isaac Trumble on episode #140 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast. The Nebraska native covers: marriage (including a kid on the way), injury, military life after college, and the excitement surrounding the Wolfpack program entering a new season. In his first season up at heavyweight last year, Tru...

The season premier episode of Season #9 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast was a banger! 2025 World Champion Trent Hidlay sits down to relive some of his favorite memories of winning GOLD at 92 kg at the Senior World Championship. The fun doesn't stop there, as a surprise guest (even to Trent), older brother Hayden Hidlay joins to talk about his perspective of being in the stands for the moment...

On episode #138 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast, co-host Trent Hidlay sits down with his current Wolfpack RTC head coach Jamill Kelly.   Kelly was a teammate (at Oklahoma State) and previously coached under Wolfpack head coach Pat Popolizo, and recently returned to Raleigh to join the RTC. The former Olympic Silver medalist talks about the Pack's recent success at the U.S. Open and Hidlay qu...

The postseason is finally here! All through preseason and during the regular season you will hear many coaches and athletes talk about getting to March. That time is now, and it is time for the NC State Wolfpack to compete at the 2025 ACC Championships. On episode #136 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast, co-host Brian Reinhardt and NC State head coach sit down and go weight-by-weight through th...

One last time inside Reynolds Coliseum this season for the NC State Wrestling team, as the Wolfpack closes out its dual slate with an ACC battle against Stanford Friday night.   Co-host Trent Hidlay catches up with Wolfpack head coach Pat Popolizio to look back at the exciting rivalry win at North Carolina, and the duo turn ahead to this weekend's clash with the Stanford Cardinal on episode #135 o...

First place in the ACC is on the line this Friday night, as #6 NC State heads to #18 North Carolina in a battle of the conference's lone undefeated squads in conference action. Co-host Brian Reinhardt visits with the returning Pat Popolizio to preview a great night of ACC action and much more on episode #134 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast. The duo also talk about the return of National Dual...

It is a double-dual weekend for the NC State Wrestling team, as the Wolfpack will host Duke in the ACC opener before heading to Oklahoma State to close the weekend.   Co-host Trent Hidlay invites fans to PACK Reynolds RED Friday night vs. Duke then is joined by a Lee Cothran, host of the Dynasty Defined Podcast, to breakdown the matchup between the Pack and Cowboys on episode #133 of the #PackMent...

One final dual before the holiday break, the NC State wrestling team will head up to New York this weekend to face off against Cornell in one of the best duals of the weekend. Co-host Brian Reinhardt and Wolfpack head coach Pat Popolizio talk about some of the matchups and NC State's schedule in between the two semesters on episode #132 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast. #packmentality   #wolf...

The top in-season tournament of the season is going on this weekend in Las Vegas, the annual Cliff Keen Invite. Nine of the top 12 teams in this week's NWCA Coaches Poll will all be sending athletes, including NC State for the third straight year.   On episode #131 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast, co-host Trent Hidlay sits down with Wolfpack head coach Pat Popolizio to talk about the tournam...

On location from the USA Wrestling headquarters in Colorado, co-host Trent Hidlay sits down with NC State head coach Pat Popolizio for a PACKed episode #130 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast. The duo recap all the action from last weekend - dual wins over App State, Princeton, and Rutgers - then turn their attention to the home dual this weekend against Utah Valley State, led by former Wolfpac...

NC State Wrestling hits the road for a pair of duals up in New Jersey on Sunday, first against Princeton and then Rutgers.   On episode #129 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast, co-host Trent Hidlay linked up with Rutgers Wrestling play-by-play announcer Nick Kosko and the duo goes through all the probable match-ups for a full preview.   SUBSCRIBE TO #PACKMENTALITY POP-INS Apple Podcasts  |  Spr...

NC State Wrestling will host its first home dual of the season, as the Wolfpack will host Appalachian State Friday night inside Reynolds Coliseum. Co-host Brian Reinhardt and head coach Pat Popolizio preview the dual, and talk about how the first two weekends have gone on episode #128 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast.   We were wrong about the Princeton & Rutgers duals. They will not be s...

NC State Wrestling opened its 2024-25 campaign last weekend, and rolls right into the next competition heading up to Pennsylvania this weekend for a dual vs. Campbell and then a round-robin event.   On episode #127 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast, co-host Trent Hidlay visits with the newest member of the Wolfpack's coaching staff, Associate Head Coach Zack Esposito. Hidlay then sits down wit...

#PackMentality  Pop-Ins Podcast: Ep. 126 - Weight-by-Weight Breakdown The 2024-25 NC State Wrestling season begins this weekend with a trip down to The Citadel for a tournament. On episode #126 of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast, co-host Brian Reinhardt sits down with Wolfpack head coach Pat Popolizio to go over each of the 10 weight classes and where things standing heading into the start of a...

The 2024-25 NC State Wrestling schedule has been released, and Trent Hidlay sits down with Pack head coach Pat Popolizio to go over all the upcoming action on episode #125 of the Pack Mentality Pop-Ins Podcast.   #packmentality #WolfpackWrestling #NCStateWrestling #wrestlingpodcast SUBSCRIBE TO #PACKMENTALITY POP-INS Apple Podcasts  |  Spreaker  |  Spotify  |  RSS SUPPORT THE SHOW And if you're a...

Trent Hidlay bumps up into the First Chair for episode #124 of the Pack Mentality Pop-Ins Podcast. The former Wolfpack All-American tracks head coach Pat Popolizio down and catches up with his former head coach to talk about the current preseason phase for the Wolfpack. Kai Orine then joins Hidlay as the two-time AA and ACC champ gears up for his final season on the mat. SUBSCRIBE TO #PACKMENTALIT...

Summer is coming to an end and a new school year has just started at NC State. Perfect timing for a brand new season of the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast to get started. Host Brian Reinhardt is joined by (now) former Wolfpack All-American Trent Hidlay for episode #as123 as the two talk about Hidlay's outstanding Wolfpack career, his transition to full-time training at the Wolfpack RTC, and there...