Tom Danner enjoyed a successful career in education and coaching, spanning nearly 40 years.

A Wahlert Catholic graduate, he earned his bachelor's degree from Northwest Missouri State University and his master's degree from Loras College in secondary school administration.

As a prep, he was Wahlert's first state champion, capturing the title at 98 pounds in 1971 in the first match featured on the first-ever television broadcast of the Iowa state wrestling tournament.

He began his career at Newman Catholic before moving on to Epworth and then Western Dubuque, where he retired in 2011.

Danner worked 30 years as an assistant wrestling coach at Wahlert before taking over the program in 2005. As a head coach his teams posted a 150-47 record with 23 state qualifiers and 12 state place-winners. He coached two state champions and three wrestlers who went on to successful careers at the NCAA Division III level.

He was District Coach of the Year four times and he and his staff were named the Iowa coaching staff of the year in 2011.

Danner has received multiple awards including induction into the Wahlert Hall of Fame.

He was a finalist for the 2014 National Student Council Advisor of the Year and was the 2013 Iowa Student Council Advisor of the Year.

For the last five years he has been a columnist for the Iowa Predicament Magazine.

He served a two-year term on the Iowa Student Council State Board and he has remained active in community affairs.

He and his wife Mary Jo raised three children, Sarah, Katie and Drew Sarah teaches at North Scott, Eldridge and Katie teaches at Central, DeWitt. Drew is pursuing a nursing degree at Kirkwood.