Tom Brands Hits 300 Wins as Hawkeyes Top No. 6 Nebraska in Statement Dual
Tom Brands just added another milestone to a coaching career already packed with them. The Iowa legend notched his 300th dual meet win as the Hawkeyes took down No. 6 Nebraska on the road, 22-14-a performance that not only delivered the historic W, but also showed that this team still has plenty of fight left in it.
Let’s set the stage. Brands, an Iowa wrestling icon in every sense of the word, built his legacy first on the mat and then in the corner.
As a competitor, he was a four-time All-American and a three-time NCAA champion under the legendary Dan Gable from 1989 to 1992. Now, as head coach, he’s built Iowa into a perennial powerhouse-gritty, relentless, and always in the national conversation.
Coming into the Nebraska dual, Iowa had taken some lumps this season. An 8-3 record included losses to No.
4 Ohio State, in-state rival No. 6 Iowa State, and a lopsided 32-3 defeat at the hands of top-ranked Penn State.
Brands had been sitting on 299 wins, and while the milestone was inevitable, it wasn’t coming easy.
That changed in Lincoln.
The Hawkeyes came out swinging, and it started right away at 125 pounds. Joey Cruz got the nod and delivered a 4-2 win over Alan Koehler to set the tone.
Then senior Drake Ayala, who’s had a bit of a rollercoaster season and recently dropped to No. 10 in the rankings at 133, reminded everyone why he’s still dangerous. He took it to No.
8 Jacob Van Dee with a 12-6 decision that felt like a momentum-changer early.
But the real fireworks came in the middle weights.
At 149 pounds, Ryder Block brought the house down with a pin over Chaz Lamer. That six-point swing was massive.
Then, at 157, Michael Caliendo kept the pressure on, dominating LJ Araujo with a 14-4 major decision. Those bonus points proved to be the difference-makers in a tightly contested dual.
In total, Iowa won six of the 10 matches on the night-enough to walk away with a 22-14 victory and, more importantly, to give their head coach career win No. 300 at the helm of the Hawkeyes.
And make no mistake-this team is still riding for their coach.
After his match, Block spoke to that loyalty directly: “He’s got guys on the team that believe in him. We’ve got 30 guys in that room that believe in Tom Brands.”
That kind of buy-in matters, especially in a season where Iowa has faced its fair share of adversity. But Friday night was a reminder that when this team is clicking, they’re still one of the most dangerous squads in the country.
With the milestone now in the rearview, Brands holds a 300-31-1 career record at Iowa. Next up? A showdown with Minnesota on January 31, and a chance to keep building momentum as the postseason approaches.
For now, though, it’s worth taking a moment to appreciate just how rare 300 wins is in this sport-and how fitting it is that Tom Brands, a man who embodies Iowa wrestling, hit that mark with his team battling hard on the road.