Dan Knight

2006 Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

Ask most great wrestlers what the keys to their success were, and a likely answer would include a strong competitive spirit and a willingness to put in the extra time needed to be great. Ask others, and they may point to family ties and traditions.

For Dan Knight, one of only five unbeaten high school wrestlers in Iowa history, it was a combination of family and opportunity that allowed the Clinton standout to excel.

And excel he did—going 31–0 as a freshman while winning the 98-pound title; 31–0 at 112 pounds as a sophomore; followed by titles at 126 pounds as a junior (31–0) and as a senior (35–0), for a perfect 128–0 career record.

“My biggest key to success was being raised by parents who put their kids first above all else. My mom and dad instilled in me a positive attitude and strong work ethic. They also provided every opportunity for me to be successful—on the mat and in life. They sacrificed everything, especially their time, energy, and money, to travel around the country so I could learn from and compete against the best,” Knight recalls.

He also noted that he was the youngest of five children and learned early on the right way to do things. “Also, having a built-in workout partner in my brother Steve was another big reason for my success.”

Opportunities were indeed plentiful during his high school career. Knight won or placed highly in the USA World Championships and the Junior Greco-Roman Nationals as a sophomore, junior, and senior. He continued to achieve success at the national and international levels even after graduating high school.

A neck injury unfortunately cut Knight’s collegiate career short. Before the injury, he placed fourth in the nation at 126 pounds for Iowa State University. In 1990, he placed second in the Big Eight tournament, where the injury occurred.

Knight remained in the sport, coaching at two high schools in Illinois before spending three years at Mount St. Clare College in Clinton. He then coached for five years at Clinton High School, where he mentored 53 state or national qualifiers.

Knight took the head coaching job at Bettendorf High School in 2004 where he has led the program to four Iowa State Titles (two traditional and two Dual, 2012 & 2014), 26 Individual State Champions, and multiple top four state finishes.

Knight was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006, along with two other unbeaten high school wrestlers: Eric Juergens and Jeff McGinness.

Additional Honors & Achievements

1987 Asics Tiger All-American First Team
1987 Asics Tiger High School Wrestler of the Year
2002 National Wrestling Hall of Fame – Glen Brand Inductee2015 Quad-City Sports Hall of Fame
2014 NWCA Coach of the Year
IHSAA Wrestling Hall of Fame