Gable tribute reveals statue to be built outside CHA

CORALVILLE - The influence of Dan Gable and the appreciation of it were on display Saturday night.

After all, the wrestling icon impacted an entire state, two prestigious institutions, countless competitors and coaches and the worldwide wrestling community.

So, about 1,000 people congregated for tributes, stories and laughs to honor his legendary career as a wrestler and coach at the "Gable's Gold: A Celebration of Dan Gable's Legacy " banquet at the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.

The event also served as a presentation. The University of Iowa announced that Gable will be honored with a seven-foot statue outside of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The statue is expected to be erected by the start of the 2012 USA Wrestling Ol;ympic Trials April 21-22.

"Coach Gable stands in a class on his own in terms of the contributions he's made to the University of Iowa and the sport of wrestling," Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta said in a news release. "Fifteen NCAA Championships and 21 Big ten titles in 21 years is a remarkable feat, but his progressive contributions go well beyond the numbers. he produced the sport's greatest  wrestling environment inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena; and we believe this statue is a fitting and well deserved tribute that honors his legacy." 

Long-time UI Sports Information Director and Hawkeye wrestling announcer Phil Haddy kicked off the festivities perfectly.

"We're here to praise him, not bury him," announced Haddy, who later added, "He is the face of wrestling."

Gable took the dais at the end of the evening. He thanked a number of people from his past, including his entire family. He joked about being all wrestling all the time and that he had a singlet on underneath the tie and jacket he was wearing.

"I'm always ready to go," Gable said. "Just like Superman. I don't need the phone booth."

Current Hawkeye Coach Tom Brands, who was a three-time NCCA champion and four-time All-American, sharing an emphatic statement, pounding the podium as he concluded his speech. It was a sentiment that many of the former wrestlers shared.

"You're my coach," Brands said. "I'll tell you the secret. Wrestle to win and dominate."

As entertaining stories about Gable were presented, there was an underlying theme of respect and gratitude. Terms like teacher, friend, mentor, motivator, idol and ambassador were prevalent.

"He is the superstar of our sport," Hawkeye four-time All-American Mike DeAnna said. "He transcends the sport."

The praise flowed from some of the many in the wrestling world who were influenced by Gable with the only break was a video tribute of memorable moments of his career. It came from those who competed by his side and those whose back he had when they competed for him.

Ben Peterson wrestled with Gable at Iowa State and for the United States Olympic team in 1972. He shared  that when he arrived at Iowa State Gable was all business, and he was an example of what it took to be successful.

"If you wanted to learn and get better you'd get real close to Dan," Peterson said. "If you wanted to avoid work and take it a little easier you'd avoid Dan."

Masses gathered before dinner to view the countless items of memorabilia and reminders of his tremendous success. Letterman sweaters from his days as an undefeated three-time state champion at Waterloo West and a two-time NCAA champion and three-time national finalist for the Iowa State Cyclones were on display. While donning those sweaters, Gable produced an unimaginable 182-1 record.

So was his Olympic warmup top from the 1972 Munich Games, where he steamrolled the competition to a gold medal without surrendering a point. The impressive post-collegiate career, highlighted by a world title, Pan American Games championship, a most valuable wrestler award in winning the Tbilisi tournament, arguably the world's toughest tournament, and six Midlands Championships crowns.

Posters from the championship teams, featuring some of the wrestlers who accumulated those 15 NCAA team titles including a stretch of nine straight. Many of those competitors he mentored and trained into champions, who in turned repaid him with 21 Big Ten titles and a career record of 355-21-5, were at tables reminiscing with one another.

Terry Brands, Iowa's associate head coach, discussed wrestling with Gable and how many times he would be face down and in your own sweat, snot and blood with occasional eye gouges - to the second knuckle - and cauliflower ears. Gable molded you and was always there for his wrestlers.

"All the agony has shaped me," Terry Brands said. "Give all the glory to God and Gable."

But the best the comment may have described how Gable refused to lower his standards but forced his opponents to have to rise to his level and the level of the program he guided.

"Gable defined parity by not acknowledging it," Terry Brands said.

Tom Brands said he works problems in his head and that he always thinks what would Gable do. Gable is a balance between coach and family man, and that he'd give you the shirt off his back and if you borrowed his watch he demand it be returned because his wife, Kathy, gave it to him for their anniversary.

"He made it cool to wrestle at Iowa," Tom Brands said. "He made it the place."

The man who brought Gable to Iowa City was former Hawkeye Coach Gary Kurdelmeier. Former Iowa Athletics Director Bump Elliott said Kurdelmeier recognized Gable's potential, but he was fine with taking credit for naming him the new coach when Kurdelmeier moved on.

"That was the easiest decisions I ever made as athletics director, who was going to be the next coach," Elliott said. "I knew who it was going to be."

Minnesota Coach J Robinson, who served as an assistant for Gable from 1976-84, and is now one of six Big Ten coaches that wrestled or coached for Gable, talked about how he classified Gable in the various roles in wrestling.

Robinson said Gable was "relentless" as a competitor, flexible as a coach and focused as an opponent. His ability to create champions stemmed from being able to know the strength of each wrestler and knew what buttons to push.

His official retirement from the UI began at the start of the year, but Gable has continued his role as ambassador for the sport he loved. He travels all over, continuing to promote the sport. His legacy is still being built, and now it will be built outside the arena that housed it.