Tom Brands is making the rounds on the I-Club circuit just a little more than two months after getting the job he always wanted, that of head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa.
The former head coach at Virginia Tech says he has a fresh perspective of the program. He says the biggest thing that helped was leaving, as he says stepping right into a big budget program that was going well would not have been as gratifying.
Brands’ goal is to lead the Hawkeyes back to the top of college wrestling and says nothing else is acceptable. Brands it will take a year or so to get things back to where they were. Brands says he has some “young studs” who have an opportunity to come in and define the program.
Brands says recruiting is important but his first goal is to make the current roster of Hawkeyes better. He says his strength is in the wrestling room and that’s were he likes to be. Brands says hands on development of wrestlers has always been his passion.
Brands says having former head coach Dan Gable on his staff is a huge plus. Brands says Gable is known all over the country and the world. Brands says Gable will be a big help in recruiting.