After a highly successful high school wrestling career, Gary Kurdelmeier went on to the University of Iowa to earn All-American honors and a national championship. Following graduation, he joined the United States Army where he remained for six years as a member of the All-Army wrestling team.

Upon discharge he spent five years as a high school coach before returning to his alma mater in 1967 as an assistant to head coach, Dave McCuskey.

He became head coach for the Hawkeyes in 1972; and before his coaching duties completed four years later, his teams had won three conference titles and two Division One team titles. He was voted Coach of the Year honors in 1975 and 1976.

In 1977, he handed over the head coaching job to assistant, Dan Gable; and for the next nine years Kurdelmeier served as Associate Athletic Director at the University of Iowa. He established the Hawkeye Wrestling Club to promote youth wrestling and to provide post-collegiate competitors an opportunity to develop their wrestling skills for international competition. He became well known for his ability to bring media attention to wrestling through the development of unique promotional activities.

In 1985, he left Iowa to serve as Executive Director for U.S.A. Wrestling. During his three years at the helm, he helped the sport to expand and was involved in the move of the national headquarters from Stillwater, Oklahoma, to Colorado Springs, Colorado.

After a brief retirement, he provided the leadership for the formation of the wrestling program at Georgia State University, serving as coach from 1991-95. It was while he was there that he also served as a volunteer leader for the 1996 Olympic Games.

As a coach who started one of the great wrestling dynasties of all time, Gary Kurdelmeier is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.