Dick Govig

1999 Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

Dick Govig, hails from Britt, Iowa, a community that was only beginning to develop its wrestling tradition when he entered high school. Dick became a trailblazer for the program, emerging as Britt’s first state qualifier and ultimately its first state champion. Coached by Dick Black, Govig captured back-to-back Iowa high school state titles—winning at 105 pounds in 1951 and at 112 pounds in 1952. Remarkably, after his freshman year, he lost only one dual meet. As a high school competitor, he also won four AAU tournaments and three Eagle Grove Invitational titles, establishing himself as one of Iowa’s top prep wrestlers of the early 1950s.

Following high school, Govig enrolled at the University of Iowa, where he competed under head coach Dave McCuskey. As a sophomore in 1954, he etched his name into Hawkeye history by winning the NCAA Division I championship at 123 pounds, becoming just the third wrestler from the University of Iowa to earn an NCAA title. His victory helped pave the way for what would later become one of the most storied collegiate wrestling programs in America. Unfortunately, injuries curtailed the remainder of his collegiate career, limiting his opportunities to build further on his national success.

Govig also competed impressively at the national level outside the collegiate season. He advanced to the fifth round of a grueling seven-round Olympic trials format, demonstrating his ability to contend among the nation’s elite.

After his wrestling career, Dick Govig relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona, where he and his wife, Jan, founded Govig & Associates, which became one of the top executive research and recruiting firms in the United States. Despite his demanding professional life, Dick’s love for wrestling never waned, and he remained connected to the sport that shaped his early years.

His contributions and pioneering accomplishments have been recognized through his induction into Iowa High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1994. Dick Govig’s legacy endures not only through his competitive achievements but also as an inspiration to generations of Iowa wrestlers who followed his trailblazing path.

Dick was induced into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999 with Barry Davis.