Tom Brands

2001 Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

Tom Brands, like his twin brother Terry, launched his storied wrestling career in Sheldon, Iowa, where he compiled a remarkable 109-12 high school record. As a senior in 1986, Tom captured a state championship with an unblemished 34-0 season, while also setting school records for most takedowns (158) and most points (477) in a season. He shares the school record with Terry for most near falls in a season (32), underscoring their dominance on the mat.

At the University of Iowa, Tom wrestled under the legendary Dan Gable and became one of the most decorated competitors in Hawkeye history. Known for his ferocious intensity, Tom amassed a career record of 158-7-2, including 46 falls, and went undefeated at 45-0 during his junior season in 1991. He was a four-time All-American, a three-time NCAA champion, a three-time Big Ten champion, and was named Outstanding Wrestler at the 1992 NCAA Tournament.

On the international stage, Tom built an equally impressive résumé. He captured a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta at 136.5 pounds (62 kg), added a World Championship gold in 1993 in Toronto, won two World Cup titles (1994, 1995), and claimed gold at the 1995 Pan American Games. Domestically, he secured four U.S. Nationals titles and represented the United States on four consecutive World or Olympic teams from 1993 to 1996.

After his competitive career, Tom transitioned into coaching, first as an assistant at Iowa, where he was named NWCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2000 after the Hawkeyes won their sixth straight NCAA title. In 2005, he became head coach at Virginia Tech, quickly elevating the program, before returning to Iowa City in 2006 to take over the storied Hawkeye program as head coach. Since then, he has guided Iowa to four NCAA team championships (2008, 2009, 2010, 2021), six Big Ten titles, and multiple school records, including the longest dual unbeaten streak in program history. Under his leadership, Iowa has crowned 13 NCAA individual champions and produced more than 100 All-Americans, while consistently maintaining one of the nation’s top academic profiles. Brands was named NWCA National Coach of the Year in 2008, 2020, and 2021, and has also been recognized with Big Ten Coach of the Year honors multiple times.

In recognition of his extraordinary impact on the sport, Tom was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he and Terry were introduced by Dan Gable. Beyond the mat, Tom continues to be a powerful ambassador for wrestling, known for instilling a relentless work ethic, championship mindset, and deep respect for the sport’s traditions in all of his athletes.

Tom Brands was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2001 alongside his twin brother Terry Brands.