Brands Signs Contract Extension

Nov. 26, 2008

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IOWA CITY, IA — University of Iowa Director of Athletics Gary Barta announced today that Coach Tom Brands has signed a contract extension that will run through the 2013 wrestling season.

“Tom Brands is the best wrestling coach in the country,” said Barta. “When you combine that with the fact he’s been a Hawkeye all his life, the fit is perfect. I look forward to working with him for many years to come.”

Brands’ new contract will run through June 2013 and increases his guaranteed annual compensation to approximately $150,000. Additional academic and athletic incentives will offer Brands opportunities for additional income.

The 2008 NWCA, W.I.N. Magazine and Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year, Brands is in his third season as Iowa’s head wrestling coach. He has a 39-6 overall and 13-3 Big Ten record at Iowa, and a 56-26 career mark. Brands and the defending NCAA and Big Ten Champion Hawkeyes are off to a 4-0 start this season with wins over Iowa Central (52-0), Coe (51-0), Minnesota State Mankato (45-3) and Arizona State (41-0) at the Iowa City Duals last week. Iowa is currently on an 18-dual match winning streak.

In only his second season as head coach, Brands guided the 2007-08 squad to NCAA and Big Ten titles, as well the Big Ten regular season title with an undefeated 8-0 league mark. It was Iowa’s 21st NCAA team title – the first since 2000 – and the Hawkeyes’ 32nd Big Ten championship – the first since 2004. Iowa also won the 2007 Midlands title and the Division I trophy at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in January. The Hawkeyes posted a 21-1 dual mark, ending the season on a 14-match winning streak. Senior Mark Perry and sophomore Brent Metcalf each won NCAA titles, and Iowa crowned a total of seven all-Americans, which was the most for Iowa since 2001. Iowa also produced six academic all-Big Ten honorees, which is the second-highest total in school history.

Brands served as head coach at Virginia Tech University for two seasons (2005-06), recording a 17-20 dual mark. Prior to taking the helm at Virginia Tech, Brands was an assistant coach at Iowa for 12 seasons (1993-2004). He helped the Hawkeyes to a 177-27 dual record, seven NCAA and eight Big Ten titles, while crowning 23 NCAA champions, 73 all-Americans and 36 Big Ten champions. He was named the NWCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2000.

As a competitor, Brands won the 1996 Olympic freestyle gold medal at 136.5 pounds in Atlanta, GA. He also won a gold medal at the 1993 World Freestyle Championships in Toronto, two World Cup gold medals (1994, 1995) and was the 1995 Pan American Games champion. He won four U.S. National titles (1993-96) and made four straight U.S. World or Olympic teams (1993-96). Along with his twin brother, Terry, Tom was named 1993 USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year, the 1993 John Smith Outstanding Freestyle Wrestler and 1993 Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year. He was inducted into wrestling’s Hall of Fame in 2001.

Brands was a four-time all-American at Iowa (1989-92). During his Hawkeye career, he won three NCAA titles and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the 1992 NCAA Championships. Also a three time Big Ten champion, Brands won 95 percent of his matches at Iowa. His career mark of 158-7-2, included an undefeated season in 1991 (45-0).