2025 Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame Spotlight: Brad Smith

BY JOHN BOHNENKAMP

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Brad Smith (78BS) enters the UI Athletics Hall of Fame for his success on the mat as a Hawkeye — but it’s that same foundation that helped him become one of Iowa’s most decorated high school wrestling coaches.

“Coaching was my forte,” says Smith, who retired in 2023 as the all-time winningest coach in Iowa high school history. “I studied the sport. I tried to learn as much as I could. Even in my last years, I was always looking for different ways to show certain moves. You have to keep updated with the technique, because technique in wrestling changes almost every year.”

Smith learned from the best at Iowa. He was in the first recruiting class of coach Gary Kurdelmeier (59BA, 62MA), and one of his assistants during that time was Dan Gable.

“(Gable) had a way to get the best out of each one of his wrestlers,” Smith says. “Mentally, he made you believe in yourself, and when you stepped on the mat you knew that you were going to win. That’s one thing I always emphasize in my coaching. I think the mental part is probably 80% of what it takes to be a good wrestler. There’s other things as well, but if you have it upstairs, you can go a long way.”

Smith was an NCAA champion in 1976 at 142 pounds, helping the Hawkeyes win the national championship. He was also part of the national championship team the previous season, and he was a three-time place winner in the Big Ten championships.

After graduating, Smith launched his high school coaching career at Lisbon High School in 1978. In his time at Lisbon and Iowa City High, Smith set state records for most dual meet wins, traditional state titles, individual state champions, and four-time state champions. He was a two-time national wrestling coach of the year and two-time Iowa coach of the year.

Smith is a member of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, Illinois Wrestling Hall of Fame, Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame, and Lisbon Hall of Fame. Recently, he was named Prep Coach of the Century by Iowa’s News Now.

“I never got complacent,” he says. “I was always learning, because that’s the only way to get better.”

Brad Smith (Men’s Wrestling)
Won the 142-pound title at the 1976 NCAA Championships, helping Iowa to the 1976 team title… was a member of the first two NCAA team titles in school history (1975, 1976)… three-time Big Ten placewinner… was a member of the first recruiting class for Gary Kurdelmeier at Iowa… wrestled under Kurdelmeier, Dan Gable and J Robinson… had a decorated high school coaching career, becoming the winningest coach in Iowa high school wrestling history… has the most dual meet wins, most traditional state titles, most individual state champions and the most four-time state champions in state history… two-time National Wrestling Coach of the Year… two-time Iowa Coach of the Year… recipient of the Bob Siddens Iowa High School Coaching Excellence Award… member of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, Illinois Wrestling Hall of Fame, Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame and Lisbon Hall of Fame.