Dan Gable
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Dan Gable (born October 25, 1948 in Waterloo, Iowa), has often been called the Babe Ruth of wrestling. He became a legend not just as a wrestler, but as head coach of the University of Iowa Hawkeye wrestling team.
He began wrestling at the age of 7, when his father entered him into YMCA competitions.
Gable has no blood successor in wrestling; but his four daughters were accomplished swimmers, golfers, and volleyball players at Iowa City High School.
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[edit] High school career
At Waterloo West High School in Waterloo, IA, Gable went undefeated (64-0) during his three years of varsity wrestling (freshman were not allowed to compete in varsity at that time).
In his sophomore year (1964), Gable says he faced his "greatest setback"[1] when his older sister, Diane, was raped and murdered in the Gable family home, while Dan and his parents were on vacation. According to the documentary, "Gable," Gable said he told his parents, as they were driving home after learning of the murder, that he suspected a neighborhood youth of the crime. The hunch turned out to be right.
He has said that the event gave him a singular passion for wrestling, as a way to uplift his shattered family. In his documentary "Gable," he says "I needed to give them enough entertainment that they didn't have to look other places."
His training regimen was extremely rigorous and included mowing the lawn while wearing weights.
[edit] College years
After graduation, he moved on to Iowa State University where he won two NCAA titles (1968, 1969). His overall collegiate mark was 182-1 (99-1 on varsity). His singular defeat was in his final collegiate match in the finals of the NCAA tournament to Larry Owings.
[edit] Olympic career
| Olympic medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's freestyle wrestling | |||
| Gold | 1972 Munich | 68 kg | |
After college, Gable wrestled as an amateur for three years. During training, he was driven by the possibility that the Russians might be training harder than he. If he awoke in the night, he would do push-ups and sit-ups until he went back to sleep. "Maybe the Russians are training" he would think to himself. Gable would say later that he wanted to win by clear and indisputable victories, and not have any of his matches be left up to the judgment of a referee.
Before leaving for the Games in Munich, the entire United States Olympic team was invited to the White House. Gable and two of his teammates chose not to attend because it would interfere with their training schedule.
He won the gold medal at 149 pounds (68 kg) at the 1972 Summer Olympics despite suffering from a painful knee injury. In fact, Gable did not surrender a single point at the 1972 Games. As an amateur from his high school career to his retirement in 1973, he was 299-6-3 with 182 pins. He was reportedly so focused on the competition that in an interview during the Munich games, he did not immediately realize that a reporter was referring to the Munich killings.
[edit] Coaching career
Gable became head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa in 1976. He formed a dynasty matched by few. From 1978 to 1986, the Hawkeyes won the NCAA title each year, a record nine in succession. He continued to coach the team until a sabbatical after the 1997 season. His record in dual meets was 355-21-6 with fifteen NCAA titles in 21 years.
In 1997, the Hawkeyes were expected to lose to the favored Oklahoma State Cowboys. But Gable, who was by this time coaching on crutches after numerous hip surgeries, led his team to its 17th NCAA team title and to an unprecedented NCAA-record 170 points.
In addition to his leadership at the college level, Gable was head coach of the United States Olympic team in freestyle wrestling in both 1984 and 2000. Currently, he is an assistant athletic director at the University of Iowa.
Gable's successor, Jim Zalesky, won three NCAA titles under him. Recently, Zalesky was not granted a contract extension ending his tenure as the Hawkeyes coach. The University of Iowa has named 4 time All-American and Olympic champion Tom Brands as Zalesky's successor. Brands wrestled under Gable at Iowa. It was announced on April 14, 2006 that Dan Gable will be rejoining the coaching staff at Iowa as Brands top assistant coach [2].
[edit] Popularity
In an Esquire interview, actor, and high school wrestler Tom Cruise considered Gable his greatest hero. Gable himself was profiled in Esquire by the novelist and former University of Pittsburgh wrestler John Irving. The story was entitled "Gorgeous Dan."
Gable has perennially been on the wishlist for a Republican candidate for Iowa's governor or Congressional positions.
