MSU head coach Tom Minkel was looking at an impressive résumé when he interviewed internationally renowned Cuban lightweight wrestler Alexis Vila for a vacant assistant head wrestling coach position.
A world champion in 1993 and 1994.
A bronze medalist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
A gold medalist at the 1997 Pan-American games.
“Over that four year stretch, he was generally regarded as the best wrestler in the world,” Minkel said.
After saying he and Vila “hit it off” in that interview, Minkel decided to bring Vila’s wealth of international wrestling experience to the 11th ranked Spartan wrestling squad.
Vila took over as the new assistant wrestling coach just after Christmas, replacing Andy Brydon who left the team to pursue a career as a lawyer. Vila will primarily be coaching the lightweight wrestlers.
Vila, who is limited in his English, said MSU is a good program and that he hopes to help the squad any way he can.
“I want to give my experience to other wrestlers because they need it,” he said. “I want to try and focus on talking to (them) and (telling) what they need to do to prepare for a match”
After winning a gold medal at the 1997 Pan-American Games in Puerto Rico, Vila defected to the United States, where he lived in Florida and North Carolina before coming to East Lansing.
Vila said he defected because he had a strong desire to be free, something he didn’t have in Cuba.
“I wanted to live my life,” he said. “In Cuba, I couldn’t visit anybody outside the country.”
Vila’s defection didn’t come without a price, though. He left behind a daughter he may never see again.
“It was a hard decision, but I had no future in Cuba,” he said.
Minkel, who brought Vila in for the interview after hearing he was in the United States, said his years of wrestling on an international level will be invaluable to the team.
“He brings tremendous technical and competitive experience to our coaching staff and we’re delighted to have him,” he said.
Minkel said since he has spent time living in South America he doesn’t anticipate a communication problem.
“I know a little Spanish and he knows a little English, so between the two of us we communicate well,” he said.
Junior wrestler Chris Williams, who wrestles in the 125-pound weight class, has wasted no time training with Vila.
“He’s amazing. He’s probably the best wrestler I’ve ever been around,” he said. “His technique is perfect - everything’s done to a tee. Other than just being quick and strong, his technique is perfect.”
Williams said Vila’s presence will benefit the entire squad, not just the lightweights.
“Everyone looks at him as a lightweight coach, but his technique is so good, that even though his English is broken, his hands-on technique can show everything to everybody and I think he’ll be beneficial to the whole team,” he said.
Being from Cuba, there might be one obstacle Vila has to grapple with at MSU - a Michigan winter.
“I freeze all the time,” he said. “I freeze my hands and my hair all the time. When I don’t have to work, I stay at home because there’s no way I’m going anywhere.”
Even freedom has its downfalls.
