Tom Brands
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| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men's freestyle wrestling | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1996 Atlanta | 136.5 lbs | |
Tom Brands (born April 9, 1968) is the head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa. He won a gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics.
An intense competitor, Brands' wrestling career with the University of Iowa included a record of 158-7-2 and an undefeated season in 1991 where he was 45-0. He was a four-time All-American, three-time NCAA Champion, three-time Big Ten Conference Champion, and Outstanding Wrestler at the 1992 NCAA Tournament. His brother, Terry, was also a stand out at Iowa.
Internationally, Brands won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games (freestyle) at 136.5 pounds (Atlanta); a gold medal at the 1993 World Freestyle Championships in Toronto; two World Cup gold medals (1994 and 1995); and the gold at the 1995 Pan American Games. He won four U.S. Nationals titles (1993-96) and made four straight U.S. World or Olympic teams (1993-96). He was named 1993 USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year, 1993 John Smith Outstanding Freestyle Wrestler, and 1993 Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year. [1.jpg]. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2001.
[edit] Coaching Career
Brands served 12 seasons as assistant coach for the Hawkeyes, from 1993 to 2004. Brands was named National Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year in 2000. He also served as head coach at Virginia Tech for two seasons. He set a record for most dual victories in a season with 16 in 2005 while taking the Atlantic Coast Conference title and crowning 5 individual conference champions. In the spring of 2006, Tom Brands returned to the University of Iowa as head coach. In 2008, Brands led the Hawkeyes to the Big Ten Title and Iowa's 21st NCAA Championship.
[edit] Personal Info
Widely known for his intensity and aggressive style on the mat, he and his twin brother Terry were obvious products of Dan Gable. As a freshman Brands finished the 1988-89 season placing fourth at 126 lbs. At the national tournament, the young athlete already bore the recognizable characteristics of his mentor (Gable): relentless offensive attack, dedication to training and to the sport, hard-nosed aggressive style, and dominance against even the toughest opponents. Brands has authored several instructional VHS/DVD products that teach and advocate his "in-your-face" style of wrestling.
Brands is from Sheldon, Iowa and holds a bachelor of science degree in physical education from the University of Iowa. He is married and has three children, two daughters and a son.
