Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson is known for many things, but giving lengthy answers to the media isn’t one of them.
PSU fans will never complain about this, nor will Nittany Sports Now.
Sanderson is arguably the greatest wrestler (159-0, four national championships at Iowa State) and coach (12 national championships in the past 14 seasons at Penn State) all rolled into one.
In the words of Ricky Bobby, “winners get to do what they want,” and Sanderson has certainly earned the right to not go into great detail before the press (not that any coach is obligated to do that, for the record).
In Sanderson’s latest media session, held this Wednesday ahead of the team’s showdown at No. 4 Iowa Friday night, he was asked 25 questions (follow-ups included) over 18 minutes.
His longest answer– at nearly two minutes– was about cookies.
Cookies?
Here’s the story.
16 years ago– when Sanderson had just gotten to Penn State wrestling– he and a business partner launched Undefeated Sport Cookie.
Sanderson liked the cookies, but business-wise, it didn’t work out.
Fast forward to December 2025, when “Cael’s Cookie” was born.
The product’s origin story and its ingredients can be found here, along with this quote from Sanderson.
“This cookie had to hit a few non-negotiables: It had to be good for you, light on your stomach, and actually taste good.”
So far, the cookies are a hit, with the current supply sold out (a box of six costs $24.99).
Per Sanderson, this reboot had been in the works for about a year and a half, and he had little to do with it.
“Obviously, the last thing you want it to look like is you’re trying to sell cookies as opposed to coaching a wrestling team,” Sanderson said. “I have a very small part in it, but it was just something that’s kind of fun. I really like them. We just got a group of killers to kind of take it and run with it, and that’s what they’re doing.”
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Sanderson said he’s hoping to have Cael’s Cookie available to his team.
“That was the whole point of it,” he said. “Then, obviously, to do that, you have to have a way to get them, and that where you have to have a business that’s actually selling enough cookies to pay the rent or whatever the bills might be.”
Sanderson then explained the difference between Cael’s Cookie and the previous attempt.
“When they first came out, it was before there were cookies, like healthy cookies, and I didn’t really have any kind of connections or network or anything, and it was just like fighting, pushing a rock uphill,” he said. “Now it’s just a little different time, and it’s really a great product.
“Things have been tweaked a little bit over the years as far as nutrition, and different ideas have evolved, and you learn a little bit more. So, yeah, we’ll see, but it’s more for fun.”
Sanderson then said that a lot of the inspiration for this came from getting “tired of watching some of the stuff our guys eat.”
“I’m like, ‘man, I have to get those cookies back, because I just don’t like seeing what our guys are eating. So that’s a big part of it,” he said.
As a follow-up, Sanderson was asked if there had ever been talks of him having an ice cream flavor dedicated at Penn State’s famous Berkey Creamery.
There’s “Russ ‘Digs’ Roseberry, in honor of legendary Penn State volleyball coach Russ Rose.
There’s “Peacy Paterno,” named for legendary football coach Joe Paterno.
So why not a flavor for Cael?
Well, because Cael doesn’t want it.
“That’s just not really my thing,” he said. “I love ice cream, don’t get me wrong, but that’s the last thing I need is a flavor.”
Cael also isn’t entirely thrilled about his name being on the cookie, but he explained that it also makes life easier for him and Penn State wrestling.
“It was obviously embarrassing,” Sanderson said, “but then I don’t have to do anything. You know this is something I’m endorsing, and obviously my name’s on it, so I don’t have to be on social media and messing around and worried about selling cookies. Because that’s… we’re trying to be the best wrestling program we can be.”
