Dan Gable

October 25, 1948 - Present

Any textbook on dedication, determination and desire should use Dan Gable as its model. His relentless pursuit of excellence carried him to the highest pinnacles of achievement. Gable won every major championship available to an American wrestler, climaxed by a gold medal in the 1972 Olympic Games.

He was an undefeated, three-time state high school champion at West Waterloo in Iowa. Starting in his senior year, he won six consecutive Midlands Championships. At Iowa State, he captured three Big Eight titles and National Collegiate honors in 1968 and 1969. He won 100 college matches in a row. Such was the stature of this magnificent athlete that he is best remembered for a match he lost, the 101st of his collegiate career, the 1970 NCAA finals to Larry Owings of Washington. Yet defeat only spurred him to new heights.

He won three National AAU Freestyle titles and won gold medals at the Pan American Games and the World Championships in 1971. In 1972, he won the Soviet Union’s famed Tbilisi Tournament in Tbilisi Georgia and was named Outstanding Wrestler, receiving a horsehair cape that weighs 15 pounds. Thousands of miles of roadwork, thousands of hours of training had brought Dan Gable within sight of his goal.

He was ready for the Olympic challenge. He overwhelmed all six opponents in the Games at Munich, without giving up a single point, and was widely acclaimed as outstanding wrestler of the 1972 Olympics.

Turning to coaching, Gable joined the Iowa staff in 1973 and became head coach in 1977. Starting in 1978, his Hawkeyes won a record nine consecutive NCAA team titles. He stepped down in 1997 with a 355-21-5 dual meet record, 15 NCAA team trophies and 45 individual champions. His Hawkeyes won all 21 of their Big Ten meets. He also was World Freestyle coach and the 1980 and 1984 Olympic coach.

As one of the great athletes of wrestling history, and a living example of the values of dedication in pursuit of a goal, Dan Mack Gable is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Awards:

Year
2002
Award
Glen Brand Inductee
Chapter/Region
National
Year
1980
Award
Distinguished Member
Chapter/Region
National

All American Awards:

Season
1970
School
Iowa State
Tournament
Division I
Weight
142
Place
2
Season
1969
School
Iowa State
Tournament
Division I
Weight
137
Place
1
Season
1968
School
Iowa State
Tournament
Division I
Weight
130
Place
1

College Season Records:

Season
1970
School
Iowa State
Class
Senior
Bouts
34
Wins
33
Losses
1
Ties
0
Falls
31
Win PCT.
97.06
Place
2nd
Season
1969
School
Iowa State
Class
Junior
Bouts
29
Wins
29
Losses
0
Ties
0
Falls
25
Win PCT.
100
Place
1st
Season
1968
School
Iowa State
Class
Sophomore
Bouts
32
Wins
32
Losses
0
Ties
0
Falls
15
Win PCT.
100
Place
1st
Season
Career
Bouts
95
Wins
94
Losses
1
Ties
0
Falls
71
Win PCT.
98.95

All Coaching Dual Records:

Season
1997
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
16
Wins
15
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
93.75
Season
1996
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
17
Wins
17
Losses
0
Ties
0
Win PCT.
100
Season
1995
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
14
Wins
14
Losses
0
Ties
0
Win PCT.
100
Season
1994
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
14
Wins
11
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
78.57
Season
1993
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
16
Wins
14
Losses
1
Ties
1
Win PCT.
87.5
Season
1992
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
16
Wins
16
Losses
0
Ties
0
Win PCT.
100
Season
1991
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
26
Wins
25
Losses
0
Ties
1
Win PCT.
96.15
Season
1990
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
22
Wins
19
Losses
2
Ties
1
Win PCT.
86.36
Season
1989
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
19
Wins
17
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
89.47
Season
1988
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
19
Wins
16
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
84.21
Season
1987
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
21
Wins
19
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
90.48
Season
1986
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
17
Wins
16
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
94.12
Season
1985
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
18
Wins
18
Losses
0
Ties
0
Win PCT.
100
Season
1984
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
17
Wins
16
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
94.12
Season
1983
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
18
Wins
17
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
94.44
Season
1982
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
17
Wins
16
Losses
0
Ties
1
Win PCT.
94.12
Season
1981
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
22
Wins
21
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
95.45
Season
1980
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
18
Wins
17
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
94.44
Season
1979
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
19
Wins
19
Losses
0
Ties
0
Win PCT.
100
Season
1978
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
16
Wins
15
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
93.75
Season
1977
School
Iowa
Division
Division I
Duals
19
Wins
17
Losses
1
Ties
1
Win PCT.
89.47
Season
Career
Duals
381
Wins
355
Losses
21
Ties
5
Win PCT.
93.18

All Rankings:

Season
1970
Rank Date
02/18/1970
Weight
142
Rank
1
School
Iowa State
Season
1969
Rank Date
02/19/1969
Weight
137
Rank
1
School
Iowa State
Season
1968
Rank Date
02/28/1968
Weight
137
Rank
1
School
Iowa State

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