Dan Russell was a four-time NCAA Division II national champion and a four-time Academic All-American for Portland State University from 1988-91 and was an alternate for the 1992 and 1996 Olympics.

In the first match that Pat Smith of Oklahoma State University wrestled, Dan pinned him.

Pat went on to become the first four-time NCAA Division I champion and was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 2006.

Dan Russell is an internationally recognized wrestler, coach, sport diplomat, and founder of Wrestling for Peace. One of Oregon's most accomplished wrestlers, he completed an undefeated high school career and became Oregon's first four-time state champion in 35 years.

At Portland State University, Dan earned four Academic All-American honors, two NCAA Division I All-American honors, and four Division II national championships. He was named Outstanding Wrestler at the national championships in 1989, 1990, and 1991.

Dan represented the United States on the national team from 1989 through 1996 and served as an Olympic Team alternate in 1992 and 1996. In 1995, he won the prestigious Ivan Poddubny Tournament, earning recognition as an unofficial world champion.

His coaching career has included club, high school, college, and international competition. He served as an Olympic coach in 2004 and spent eight years as an Olympic Solidarity instructor in Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia, helping develop wrestling programs and coaches.

In 2017, Dan became the U.S. Ambassador for Wrestling for Peace. In 2025, he established Wrestling for Peace as a nonprofit organization while residing in Amman, Jordan. Through the organization, he uses wrestling as a vehicle to serve vulnerable communities, empower young people, and promote peace around the world.