Mark Schwab

2008 Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

Mark Schwab was a no-nonsense wrestler who excelled at taking control of a match early and then dominating. That determined mindset continues even today in his role as a wrestling coach.

The entire state of Iowa took notice of Schwab in 1985 when he became the sixth wrestler in the state’s history to win four state titles. The Osage wrestler lost just one match in his high school career—and that was by a single point during his freshman year.

“It was all about where I grew up,” Schwab said, reflecting on his success. “It had a lot to do with the atmosphere there. My brother brought me into the sport with the success he had, and then Billy Andrew just developed me.”

The mindset Schwab adopted was quite simple. “We worked hard, wrestled smart, put in our time, and then when it was time, we’d just take care of business,” Schwab recalled.

Another strength Schwab appreciated after years of reflection involved attitude. “A lot of strength came from within… an inner drive to succeed. Maybe this was God-given, but I had a great work ethic and loved competing. The fire was always burning, and I took advantage of it,” Schwab recalled.

The atmosphere, mindset, and competitive drive resulted in a 106–1 record in high school, being named a First Team All-American, earning a spot on the Junior World National Team, and winning four Junior National Championships.

Success followed Schwab to college, where he placed sixth in the nation as a freshman at 118 pounds for the University of Northern Iowa. His career was sadly cut short when he developed a staph infection following knee surgery that spring. Eight additional surgeries followed. However, while still trying to compete, Schwab placed sixth in the nation at 118 pounds in 1990. He also placed third in the Tbilisi Tournament in Russia and third at the World Cup.

Schwab noted he never felt pressure in high school, but that changed in college. “Any pressure I felt came from myself,” he recalled. “I learned how to think in college and probably should have let some of those thoughts go… and that fire burning inside me wasn’t there later on.”

His love for the sport continued, and Schwab went on to coach. He was an assistant coach at UNI for one year, then an assistant coach at Purdue for two years, followed by nine years as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota. While at Minnesota, the squad won two national team titles. In 2004, Schwab took over head coaching duties at Buena Vista University and was named IIAC Coach of the Year in 2007.

Schwab was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008 along with Scott Morningstar, Greg Randall, and Kevin Evans.