Tom Brands Hits 300 Wins as Iowa Wrestling Downs Rival Nebraska
Iowa wrestling needed a bounce-back performance, and they got it in a big way Friday night - on the road, no less, against a top-10 opponent. The No.
7 Hawkeyes took down No. 6 Nebraska, 22-14, in a classic Big Ten rivalry showdown that not only put Iowa back in the win column but also marked a massive milestone for head coach Tom Brands.
With the victory, Brands notched his 300th career dual meet win as Iowa’s head coach - a number that cements his place among the sport’s coaching elite. In his 20th season leading the Hawkeyes, Brands now holds a staggering 300-31-1 record overall, including a dominant 143-16 mark in Big Ten competition. That’s not just consistency - that’s sustained excellence over two decades in the toughest wrestling conference in the country.
This win is more than just a number. It’s another chapter in a coaching career that’s been decorated from the start.
Brands has already collected five Big Ten Coach of the Year honors (2008, 2009, 2010, 2020, 2021) and three NWCA National Coach of the Year awards (2008, 2020, 2021). He’s built a legacy in Iowa City that stacks up with the best to ever do it.
And it didn’t start with the head coaching job. Before taking the reins, Brands spent 11 seasons as an assistant with the Hawkeyes, picking up accolades like the 2000 NWCA Assistant Coach of the Year and twice earning USA Wrestling’s Freestyle Coach of the Year (2002, 2003). He also took home the 2002 Walter Camp National Coach of the Year - a rare honor in the wrestling world.
Of course, before he was coaching champions, Brands was one himself. As a collegiate wrestler at Iowa from 1989 to 1992, he was a four-time All-American, a three-time NCAA champion, and the Outstanding Wrestler of the 1992 NCAA Championships.
His career record? 158-7-2.
In 1991, he went a perfect 45-0. He also claimed three Big Ten titles along the way.
That’s the kind of résumé that turns heads - and builds dynasties.
Friday night’s win over Nebraska wasn’t just about the past, though. It was a statement from this year’s squad - a team still very much in the hunt in the Big Ten and beyond. After a tough loss last week, Iowa responded with grit, poise, and the kind of edge that’s defined Brands-led teams for years.
Next up, the Hawkeyes return home to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on January 30 for a matchup with Minnesota (10-2, 2-2 Big Ten). Another challenge, another opportunity - and another chance for Tom Brands to keep adding to a legacy that’s already one of the most decorated in college wrestling history.