Bo Bassett was clearly excited when he decided to commit to Iowa — his words and demeanor showed it. After narrowing his choice down from over 80 schools to four finalists, he shared the news live, saying, “I just feel like the time is right. The time is now. We’ve got a lot of big events coming up. I want to focus on my training, focus on going all in on the program that I choose. I’ve seen all seven programs that I took visits to that I was really considering in that top seven. And I think for me at this point, it’s time. I know where I want to be.”

Bassett opened up about his long-standing admiration for Iowa, mentioning that he’d wanted to be a Hawkeye since he was just six years old. He even praised the team’s wrestling style, saying it matches his own perfectly, while talking about how excited he was to compete at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Bassett’s commitment wasn’t just a choice—it really felt like destiny. “Maybe it wasn’t an easy decision, but it was the right decision,” he said in his commitment live stream.

But, a few months later, things have changed. Bo Bassett just shared that he’s decided to decommit from the Hawkeyes. He wrote in an Instagram post, “After a lot of prayer and talking with my family, I’ve decided to decommit from the University of Iowa. This wasn’t easy, but I believe it’s not the right fit for me as a wrestler, a person, or for my faith journey. I’m grateful for the opportunity, and I’ll never speak a bad word about their program.” The question is: why?

On X, Pat Mineo, the founder of The Wrestling Room, shared, “Imagine calling up the mother of the #1 recruit in the nation who committed to your school and telling her off? I imagine most head coaches know not to do that…”

In the comment section one use asked, “Before or after he decommitted?“ to which Mineo responded, “Before and contributing to…”  Reportedly, the coaching staff at Iowa notified the Bassett family that they would not be able to pay for their son’s travel expenditures because of NCAA regulations. So, it seems that the constraint led to quite a heated discussion, especially with Bassett’s mother getting involved, and it ended up degrading their relationship with the program.

Additionally, Bassett and his brother, Melvin Miller, showed interest in training at the Hawkeye Wrestling Club (HWC)—something that other programs often do to bring in recruits early. Nevertheless, it was stated that Iowa head coach Tom Brands declined, which, together with the previous disagreement around travel funds, caused Bassett and Miller to depart from Iowa. While there was scrutiny when Bassett announced his decommitment, a certain wrestling coach came to his defense.

Protecting Bo Bassett’s decision during tough times

Coach Khaled Dassan really knows how to bring a sense of grace and understanding to what can often be a pretty tense time in college recruiting. He mentioned, “Bo and his family are wonderful people, and they’re making the decisions they feel are best for Bo/family. It’s not our place to judge, and only they know what’s right for them.”

Bo Bassett replied to him on his IG story, saying, “Thanks KD! Appreciate you.” Dassan’s words really highlight a sense of professional humility and show respect for the Bassett family’s choice to keep their decision-making process private.

The wrestling coach emphasizes that recruiting goes beyond just sports; it’s really a personal journey. Instead of destroying bridges, his tone keeps doors open and presents everyone as respectable partners in a challenging shift.