Brands to make debut with Gable in corner
By Andy Hamilton
Iowa City Press-Citizen
The next chapter of Iowa wrestling begins tonight when the Tom Brands era opens in the same city where the Dan Gable era closed.
Nine seasons have passed since Gable’s last appearance in the Iowa corner. Nine seasons have passed since he left the Hawkeyes at the apex of the mountain he created after Iowa’s record-smashing performance at the 1997 NCAA tournament in the UNI-Dome.
They were nine seasons in which the Hawkeyes steadily declined from one of the top dynasties in organized sports into another one of the programs chasing Oklahoma State and Minnesota. The slide cost Jim Zalesky his job, precipitating the hiring of Brands and sparking the return of Gable to the Iowa corner as perhaps the most decorated assistant coach in sports history.
The first page of the Brands era will be written tonight and a new chapter to Gable’s coaching career begins at 7 p.m. inside the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls when the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes open the dual meet season against Northern Iowa.
“It’s early in the year, everybody wants to get off to a good start, and with a new coaching staff I think the more success you have the easier it is to make transition and have everybody on the same page, “Gable said. “But it’s the athletes that have to pave that way. I think things are going OK. I don’t think 100-percent OK from the standpoint of everybody still just doesn’t jump when Tom Brands says jump or the fact that everything isn’t where you want it from a mentality point of view, but it’s going that direction.”
Brands knew there wouldn’t be an instant ascent back to the top for the Hawkeyes when he returned from Virginia Tech in April. He knew it would take time for the mentality to return to the dominating mindset Iowa possessed under Gable.
“We want to do this the right way, but we want to do it in a quick fashion, “Brands said. “But we also have to be patient enough to realize there is development to do, and we’re working hard on that every day. Gable made a comment that was real telltale about this team: We need as much time in the practice room as we can get before we send them out for battle.”
The Hawkeyes went to battle at open tournaments during the past two weekends and came back with mixed results. Iowa might not yet be to the point where the Hawkeyes are showcasing the entertaining product that Brands vows they someday will produce.
“We have very few just single-shooters if you’re talking about guns, having one bullet in there, “Gable said. “Most of them are at least double-barrels.. But we’re looking for those automatics — the ones that just repeat, repeat, repeat. That’ll make a big difference if that happens.”
Gable likes the progress he sees, though. He likes what Brands is doing to get the Hawkeyes back to the pinnacle they often enjoyed during the 21 seasons in which Gable’s teams won 15 NCAA titles and 21 Big Ten crowns.
Those daunting numbers and Gable’s presence cast a large shadow that might intimidate some. Not Brands.
“It’s been phenomenal, “Brands said. “He’s really the only guy who will give it to me straight. I don’t mean that (the rest of the) staff is not on board because they are, they’re very valuable. But he’s really the only guy who will give it to me straight.
“When I ask a question, I want a straight answer, and that’s why he’s here. I need all the help I can get, I’ll be the first one to admit it. … The experience he brings with dealing with individuals is critical, as well.”
Perhaps the best asset Gable possessed as head coach was his ability to read his wrestlers and find the right button to push to get optimal results without disrupting the fabric of his team. He was a master at understanding which guys needed prodding and which needed praise.
One of Gable’s masterpieces was his 1997 team. The Hawkeyes entered the NCAA tournament as an underdog to top-ranked Oklahoma State. They left the UNI-Dome with a tournament-record 170 points, six finalists and five champions.
“I don’t know what he used to have, “Iowa junior 165-pounder Mark Perry Jr. said. “But he has motivational stuff and even technique, he’ll bring something new to the table every day that I’ve never seen before.”
“You don’t want to say he knows everything, but it seems like that sometimes, “Iowa freshman 157-pounder Ryan Morningstar said. “He knows exactly how you feel and what you need to do to prepare for matches and while you’re in the matches. He’s been there a thousand, a million times. It’s great to have him around.”
Gable said his new role has been going well, but he’s still seeking “complete cooperation “from the athletes “instead of almost complete cooperation.”
“These kids, a lot of them weren’t around when I was here, “he said. “They probably knew of me. You don’t lose your credibility, but if you step down a little bit and you’re not as current, it’s kind of like you have to earn your respect again. Some of these kids might not realize I know quite a bit about this sport or I wouldn’t have been where I was at, and I really haven’t gotten very far off beat. … Everybody almost is (cooperating), but I want everybody.”
“¢ BACK POINTS: Two-time NCAA champion Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State won a 3-1 decision against Perry on Monday night in the 165-pound bout of the NWCA All-Star dual in Dallas. Hendricks scored a second-period reversal and tacked on a point for riding time to win for the fourth time in four tries against the Iowa junior. … Former City High star Kyle Anson also is expected to make his dual-meet debut tonight for Northern Iowa. The three-time state champion won the 125-pound title at the Harold Nichols Open in Fort Dodge earlier this month and placed fourth at the Kaufman-Brand Open.
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