Tom Brands Position: Head Coach Alma Mater, Year: University of Iowa, 1992

Two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, Tom Brands, is in his fourth season as head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa. A 1996 Olympic gold medalist and member of wrestling's Hall of Fame, Brands is only the eighth wrestling coach at the University of Iowa. The former Hawkeye wrestler was a four-time all-American and three-time national champion (1989-92) at Iowa. He has a 59-6 overall and 21-3 Big Ten coaching record at Iowa, and a 76-26 career mark.

In his third season with the Hawkeyes, Brands led Iowa to its second straight NCAA and Big Ten team titles, crowning five all-Americans and two Big Ten champions. The 2009 national title was the school's 22nd, and it was only the second time in school history Iowa won the NCAA title without an individual champion. Brands earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors for the second straight season after guiding Iowa to the school's 33rd conference team title. Hawkeye juniors Brent Metcalf and Dan Erekson won Big Ten titles to lead the team's nine placewinners and NCAA automatic qualifiers. Metcalf was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Big Ten meet for the second straight season, becoming the first Big Ten wrestler to earn the honor in consecutive seasons. Nine Hawkeyes earned academic all-Big Ten honors, besting the previous Iowa school record of seven.

The Hawkeyes ended the 2008-09 dual meet campaign with a perfect 24-0 record, going undefeated for the first time since 1999-2000. Iowa has posted 12 undefeated and untied seasons in school history with the 2009 season producing the most victories ever. The Hawkeyes, who ended the season on a 38-dual match winning streak that dates back to 2007-08, clinched the 2009 Big Ten regular season title with a perfect 8-0 mark in conference competition, and won the 2008 Midlands and 2009 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals Division I team trophies. Iowa also made another entry in the record books, setting the national collegiate dual meet attendance record of 15,955 when it hosted Iowa State Dec. 6, 2008, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The previous record of 15,646 was set Feb. 1, 2002, when Minnesota hosted Iowa at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Hawkeyes won the Iowa State dual, 20-15. Iowa also led the nation with an average home attendance figure of 8,008 for 2008-09.

In his second season with the Hawkeyes, Brands guided the squad to NCAA and Big Ten titles, as well the 2008 Big Ten regular season title with an undefeated 8-0 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. The Hawkeyes posted a 21-1 dual mark, ending the season on a 14-match winning streak. Brand was named 2008 NWCA and Big Ten Coach of the Year for his accomplishments.

Metcalf led the way for Iowa in 2007-08, winning his first NCAA and Big Ten title along with a long list of national and conference honors. He was awarded the Dan Hodge Trophy, which is presented annually to the nation's top collegiate wrestler, as well as the Jesse Owens Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year award. Metcalf was also named Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA and Big Ten tournaments, Big Ten Wrestler of the Year and Division I Outstanding Wrestler at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. The 149-pounder is only the fourth Hawkeye to ever to earn both Big Ten honors in the same season. Brands (1989), his twin brother Terry (1992) and Mark Ironside (1997) are the other three. Mark Perry also concluded an outstanding Hawkeye career in 2008, winning his second consecutive NCAA title at 165 pounds and capturing his fourth all-America honor. He became Iowa's 14th two-time national champion and 17th four-time all-American. The Hawkeyes crowned a total of seven all-Americans in 2008, which was the most for Iowa since 2001. Iowa also produced six academic all-Big Ten honorees, which is the third-highest total in school history.

In his first season at Iowa, Brands coached Perry to his first Big Ten and NCAA titles. The Hawkeyes also crowned three all-Americans in 2006-07, going 14-5 overall and 5-3 in the Big Ten.

Brands served as head coach at Virginia Tech University for two seasons (2005-06), recording a 17-20 dual mark. In his first season with the Hokies, Brands led the team to the 2005 regular season Atlantic Coast Conference title, set a school record for dual meet wins (16) and had a school-record five wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships. During his tenure, Virginia Tech crowned five conference champions and had two all-Americans. Senior heavyweight Mike Faust was named 2006 ACC Wrestler of the Year.

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 National Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year in 2000.

In 2004, he was one of three coaches for the U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling team, participating in Athens. Brands also served as assistant coach for the 2002 and 2003 U.S. Freestyle World Teams, earning Freestyle Coach of the Year honors from USA Wrestling both years. He was also a member of the U.S. coaching staff at the 2001 World Championships, and has coached a number of other U.S. teams in international competition.

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).

The Sheldon, IA, native was born April 9, 1968. He earned his B.S. degree in physical education from Iowa in 1992. He and his wife, Jeni, have three children, Madigan, Kinsee and Tommy.

Brands At Iowa

National Champions (3)
Brent Metcalf (2008)
Mark Perry (2007-08)

NCAA Finalists (5)
Brent Metcalf (2008-09)
Mark Perry (2007-08)
Joe Slaton (2008)

All-Americans (15)
Jay Borschel (2008)
Daniel Dennis (2009)
Dan Erekson (2009)
Charlie Falck (2007-08)
Matt Fields (2008)
Phillip Keddy (2008-09)
Eric Luedke (2007)
Brent Metcalf (2008-09)
Ryan Morningstar (2009)
Mark Perry (2007-08)
Joe Slaton (2008)

Big Ten Champions (4)
Dan Erekson (2009)
Brent Metcalf (2008-09)
Mark Perry (2007)

Big Ten Placewinners (26)
Chad Beatty (2009)
Jay Borschel (2008-09)
Daniel Dennis (2009)
Dan Erekson (2009)
Charlie Falck (2007-08-09)
Matt Fields (2007-08)
Mario Galanakis (2007)
Phillip Keddy (2007-08-09)
Dan LeClere (2008)
Eric Luedke (2007)
Brent Metcalf (2008-09)
Ryan Morningstar (2007-08-09)
Mark Perry (2007-08)
Joe Slaton (2008)
Alex Tsirtsis (2007-09)

Academic All-Big Ten (19)
Matt Ballweg (2008)
Jay Borschel (2008-09)
Matt Fields (2008)
Alex Grunder (2007)
Nick Kolegraff (2009)
J.J. Krutsinger (2009)
Dan LeClere (2008-09)
T.H. Leet (2008-09)
Eric Luedke (2007)
Lucas Magnani (2007)
Brent Metcalf (2008-09)
Joe Moore (2009)
Blake Rasing (2009)
Ethan Sebert (2009)
Joe Uker (2007)