Tom Kettman

2014 Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

Tom Kettman’s wrestling pedigree is nothing short of phenomenal. Few coaches in the nation—and even fewer in Iowa—have matched the winning record of the Gilbertville Don Bosco coaching legend.

The numbers speak for themselves. As head coach for 11 years at Don Bosco, his teams dominated opponents, earning five traditional state titles and seven dual meet titles, while finishing as runners-up six times across the two formats combined.

Humble in his success, Kettman credits his mentor for much of the achievement his teams experienced. “Dan Mashek built the program from the ground up. He got the athletes, the school, parents, and community behind our program. The lessons of hard work and determination were learned from Dan—as my coach and as the head coach before me. I just did what he did.”

Still, few coaches have ever produced more winning teams and outstanding wrestlers than Kettman. “The 2010 season was memorable in many ways. It was the year we won our fifth consecutive traditional title and our sixth consecutive dual title. It was also the year I had the great honor of helping my son win the 189-pound state championship.”

Despite the success on the mat, Kettman pointed to the importance of making a difference in a student-athlete’s life as the most rewarding part of coaching. He emphasized classroom performance, strong social skills, goal setting, hard work, and the importance of family, friends, and respect for elders as the values he hoped to instill in his wrestlers.

Back to the numbers, Kettman coached 17 athletes to individual state championships, including two four-time champions (Mack Reiter and his brother Bart Reiter) and a three-time champion (Cole Welter). In 2009, the Dons qualified nine wrestlers for the state tournament; eight reached the finals, and four captured titles. The 194 team points scored that year remains the highest ever recorded by a Class 1A team.

Kettman’s own competitive career included being a state qualifier under Mashek in 1977, as well as a two-time NCAA Division III national qualifier at Loras College.

Reflecting on his journey, Kettman concluded, “Wrestling has played a huge part in my life for 46 years now. It has taught me that there are many rewards from this sport that aren’t measured in the win column.”

Tom Kettman was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2014, alongside Doug Schwab, Kevin Dresser, Nat Pendleton, and Allie Roy Morrison.