BRYCE MILLER
Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands said he’s close to finalizing details to bring legendary coach Dan Gable back to the Hawkeye staff as an assistant coach.
No deal is official, but Brands said he is on the verge of convincing Gable to accept the position.
“I think he’s game, “Brands said.
Gable led Iowa to 15 NCAA team championships in 21 seasons, including a run of nine consecutive titles. The Hawkeyes dominated the sport with Gable at the helm, winning the Big Ten Conference in each of his seasons as he compiled a 355-21-5 dual meet record.
Brands, 38 , was announced as Iowa’s coach April 5 after two seasons as head coach at Virginia Tech.
“We’ve had dialogue, “Brands said of his talks with Gable. “It’s just like the old days, in terms of the relationship.”
Gable, reached late Wednesday night, confirmed that he and Brands talked about the position.
“If everybody’s convinced it’s the greatest impact, then I’m on board, “Gable said. “If it makes perfect sense, then I’m on board.”
Earlier in the day, Gable said former Iowa coach Jim Zalesky – who was fired after nine seasons – is a serious candidate to become head coach at Oregon State.
“He’s in the finals at Oregon State and might get that job, “Gable said. “He’s close to it.”
Oregon State officials said that the widely known departure of coach Joe Wells has not been made official yet, and said no statement was being readied for release as of late Wednesday. Zalesky could not be reached for comment.
Brands, meanwhile, confirmed that Wes Hand, a former Iowa all-American and one of his assistants at Virginia Tech, will interview for an assistant coaching position at Iowa.
“I don’t think it’s a big surprise to anyone who knows me that I would be interested, “Hand said.
Hand said many current members of the Hokies are considering transfers to Iowa.
No requests for release from scholarships have been filed, he said, but several wrestlers – including four-time Iowa high school champions Jay Borschel of Linn-Mar of Marion and Dan LeClere of North-Linn of Troy Mills, and two-time champ Joey Slaton of Cedar Rapids Kennedy – are thinking about the move.
“It’s a compliment to what we have done here and the kind of work we have done, “Hand said. “We are talking about a lot of the team, not just the Iowans on the roster.”
If Gable and Hand joined the Iowa staff, the only remaining position would be volunteer assistant coach.
Brands was asked if the presence of Gable – for whom he competed as a three-time NCAA champion and for whom he coached as an assistant – would be awkward or distracting.
“I’ll answer all those questions when it happens, “Brands said. “From my perspective, it’s all positives.”
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