All Sports Schedule
Matt McDonough graphicMatt McDonough graphic
Men's Wrestling

2026 Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame Spotlight: Matt McDonough

Hall of Fame Tickets

Why is being inducted into the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame meaningful to you?
To me, there is no greater honor than being recognized by the school that you poured so much of your blood, sweat, and tears into. I was born and raised a diehard Hawkeye fan. Now to be recognized amongst the exceptional athletes this school has produced is so rewarding.

Who were your mentors at Iowa, and what did you learn from them?
First and foremost, Tom and Terry Brands put a lot of faith in me as a hungry freshman 125-pound athlete and helped me believe in myself as a national title threat before anyone else. They also instilled in me the importance of doing everything I could in every aspect of my life to ensure “no stone was left unturned” as I chased my wrestling goals.

The many assistant coaches I was blessed to learn from: Mike Zadick, Doug Schwab, Luke Eustice, Danny Song, Luke Lofthouse, and several others all helped me in my training in unique and valuable ways.

So many of my upperclassman teammates helped me both on and off the mat. Notably, Brent Metcalf, Dan Dennis, Jay Borschel, Ryan Morningstar, Luke Lofthouse, Phil Keddy, and many more.

Lastly, Mark Ironside was a great mentor to me from the time I was in high school all the way through college. He was a legendary Hawkeye I looked up to because he too was a Cedar Rapids native and a diehard Hawkeye who still remains close to the program. We maintain a close relationship to this day.

What achievement from your time as a Hawkeye makes you most proud?
Winning a national title as a freshman, which helped the 2010 Hawkeyes win a national title, will always be something I cherish.

What was the toughest stretch of your athletic career, and how did you work through it?
My senior year of college was unquestionably the most difficult time of my athletic career. I dealt with injury and weight-related challenges and learned some very important life lessons about controlling what you can in the midst of unforeseen adversity. The value of maintaining a focused and positive mindset through injuries can drastically impact your results.

I worked through it with a great deal of help from my coaches. Most notably by making adjustments to my training protocols every week so that I was as healthy as possibly heading into competitions.

Is there a particular moment in competition at Iowa that still stands out to you today?
Beating Nico Megaludis my senior year in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in double overtime, which helped Iowa win the dual against returning national champion Penn State. I vividly remember the crowd cheering louder than I had ever heard before as I got my hand raised from the mat. And then as I went into the wrestling room, I heard and felt a palpable roar from the ceiling. Two minutes later, fellow wrestler Tony Ramos came running into the room with a big smile and told me he got a first-period pin.

Beyond your sport, what’s a favorite memory from your time in Iowa City?
The first date I took my beautiful wife, Cori, on to get ice cream.

Where has life taken you since your days at Iowa, and what are you passionate about today?
Life has taken me through the coaching journey in wrestling from a Hawkeye Wrestling Club athlete and coach, to assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin, Cornell College, and now a youth club coach at Mission Athletics.  Five-and-a-half years ago I transitioned into the world of sales with Stryker Orthopedics as a joint replacement sales representative.

I am very passionate about my family, my job, long distance running, working on my property, and of course wrestling.

How did being a Hawkeye student-athlete shape the person you became?
The process of becoming a successful student-athlete at Iowa taught me invaluable lessons about work ethic, doing things the right way, and how the right mindset can impact so much in your life. I am a very passionate person, and there is no doubt growing up bleeding black and gold, to then winning national titles as a Hawkeye and earning a degree from the University of Iowa, has built into me a great deal of passion for the entire Hawkeye community.

Do you still have any treasured mementos or keepsakes from your Iowa days?
I still have a lot of my old competition clothes as well as some very cool custom national championship belts that a loyal fan of the program made for each champion.

Who do you share this honor with?
The list is enormous because it takes a lot of good people to help you achieve the highest of goals.

First and foremost, my wife (Cori McDonough), my mom (Sandi), and my dad (Michael) for their unending support of my wrestling passion to this very day. My entire family has shown up by the dozens to see me wrestle at so many events over the years.

The coaches who shaped me into the athlete I became. Starting with my father, Mike McDonough. My first big club coach Pablo Ubasa; high school coaches Doug Streicher, Jason Haag, Ryan Gotto, and CJ McDonald; my college coaches Tom and Terry Brands, Mike Zadick, Doug Schwab, Luke Eustice, Luke Lofthouse, and Danny Song; and Mike Duroe as a Hawkeye Wrestling Club coach in the summers.

To every single teammate I was lucky enough to shed blood, sweat, and tears with. Notably my training partners throughout the years who helped shape me into the athlete I became: Charlie Falck, Joe Slaton, Alex Tsirtis, Dan Dennis, J.J. Krutsinger, Tony Ramos, Montell Marion, Phil Laux, Matt Gurule, Mark Ballweg, Nate Moore, Cory Clark, Thomas Gilman, Tyler Clark, Nick Trizzino, Jake Kadel, Josh Dziewa, Topher Carton, and Dan LeClere.

My roommates over the years, Jay Borschel, Blake Rasing, Montell Marion, Mike Evans, and Tomas Lira; my brother, Curtis; and my high school friend Dan Foley. They all held me accountable and provided me with unique friendships off the mat.

I share this with so many teachers, professors, school employees, medical staff, and many mentors I was blessed to cross paths with over the years.

Hall of Fame Spotlights

Matt McDonough – Men’s Wrestling (2010-13)
Two-time National Champion, winning at 125 pounds in 2010 and 2012. Three-time All-American (2010, 2011, 2012), finishing as the NCAA runner-up in 2011. Two-time Big Ten Champion (2011, 2012) and two-time Big Ten runner-up (2010, 2013). Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2010, was fifth Hawkeye to earn freshman honor. Led Iowa to the 2010 NCAA and Big Ten team titles. Four-time Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honoree. Posted a 122-9 career record, including a 29-2 mark in Big Ten action. His .931 career winning percentage ranked 11th in program history. Had 40 career falls, eight technical falls and 35 major decisions. Went 37-1 as a freshman, 27-2 as a sophomore, 36-1 as a junior and 22-5 as a senior. His 100th career win came in 2012 NCAA finals. A three-time Mike Howard Most Valuable Wrestler recipient. Won two titles and notched a runner-up finish at the Midlands Championships. Posted a 36-1 record inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. A two-time John & Dorothy Sill Award honoree, which is presented to the most dedicated wrestler, on and off the mat. Two-time Dan Gable Most Pins Award recipient. Two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection (2012, 2013). NWCA Division I Scholar All-American in 2012.  Iowa’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient in 2012. Member of the 2010 Junior World team at 60kg and the 2014 Senior Freestyle National Team at 57kg. Bronze Medalist at the 2014 University World Championships at 57 kg.