Steve Gabriel was born and raised in the town Boger City in Lincoln County. A 1948 graduate of Lincolnton High School, he was a multi-sport athlete, excelling in football, basketball, baseball, and boxing. Gabriel attended Appalachian State Teachers College from 1948 to 1952 where he was a standout in football and wrestling. In football he was a two-year letter winner and starter at quarterback. On the mats he excelled as a four-year starter, three-year letterman, and two-time NCAAU Champion. His career wrestling record at Appalachian State was 40-4-1.

After completing his education with a degree in Mathematics and Physical Education, Gabriel went to Appalachian High School as a math teacher, football coach, and wrestling coach. It was here that he built a wrestling dynasty. Gabriel founded the wrestling program at AHS, and over a 13-year period, his teams set a national record of 140-0. The program also produced 54 individual state champions under Gabriel’s leadership.

In 1965, he accepted a position as the Financial Aid Director and Wrestling Coach at Appalachian State University. Gabriel's coaching success continued at the collegiate level, as he led the Mountaineers to a 92-21 record. Under his guidance, ASU hosted the NAIA wrestling tournament in 1971, where his team finished 10th out of 140 teams. Gabriel's impact on the wrestling community extended well beyond coaching. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of one of the nation's most prominent summer wrestling camps at ASU which still thrive today.

After his retirement from Appalachian State in 1989, Gabriel received the Governor's Award of Excellence, a fitting tribute to an exceptional career. Gabriel’s contributions to wrestling were also recognized with inductions into the Appalachian State Athletic Hall of Fame (1987), North Carolina Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (2004), Lincoln County Sports Hall of Fame (2011), and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame (2020). Throughout his life, Gabriel remained actively involved in his community, coaching various sports, teaching dance classes, and serving in numerous leadership roles in organizations such as the Boone United Methodist Church and the Boone Jaycees.