Tom & Terry Brands: Iowa Time Machine April 9, 1968

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On April 9, 1968, all-time Iowa wrestling greats Tom and Terry Brands were born. The brothers from Sheldon went on to achieve success on the mat at the high school, college, and Olympic levels, and now both coach the Hawkeye mat men. 

Wrestling for Galen Nelson at Sheldon High School, both Brands brothers quickly rose to statewide acclaim. Tom took home a state title while racking up a 109-12 record. Not to be outdone by his twin brother. Terry captured two state championships and posted a 110-10 record, which included a 34-0 record in 1986. Both committed to wrestle at Iowa for Dan Gable.

On the mat in Iowa City, both brothers found success again. Tom compiled a 158-7-2 record, which included a 45-0 mark in 1991. A four-time All-American, three-time NCAA Champion, and the Outstanding Wrestler of the 1992 NCAA tournament, Tom left a legacy of greatness during his college career. Terry went 137-7 for the Hawkeyes, winning two NCAA championships and finishing 35-0 during his senior year.

The brothers also excelled on the international stage. Terry won the world freestyle championship in 1993 and 1995, and also captured a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics. Tom also won world freestyle gold in 1993, before going on to win gold at the 1996 Olympics. 

Both brothers eventually went into coaching. While Terry spent time coaching at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Montana State University-Northern, and the University of Nebraska, Tom served as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa from 1993 to 2004, before spending two seasons as the head coach at Virginia Tech. Tom returned as Hawkeye head coach in 2006, a position he has held ever since. Terry rejoined the Iowa program in 2008, and currently serves as the associate head coach of the Hawkeyes. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar