Dan Gable led Iowa to 15 national championships "The coach with the most Division I Championship teams is no surprise to fans of the sport in Dan Gable of the University of Iowa as the leader with 15 championship teams in just a 20-year span from 1977 to 1997," according to TDR editor Martin Fleming in his article revealing the coaches and programs that have tallied the most team titles since the first NCAA wrestling championships in 1928.
Which coach came in second? The legendary Ed Gallagher, who headed up the Oklahoma State wrestling program from the end of World War I to just before the start of World War II, guided the Cowboys to eleven team titles between 1928 and 1940.
A total of 14 Division I wrestling coaches have led their programs to at least two team titles ... while 15 coaches can claim a single team championship. Of these coaches, five are still heading up D1 mat programs: Cael Sanderson (8 team titles), John Smith (5), Jim Zalesky (3), Tom Brands (3) and Tom Ryan (1).
You'll find a more complete analysis of the 26 coaches who can claim at least one NCAA Division I team crown -- and their schools -- at the Takedown Report website.
Want to know about the coaches and colleges outside NCAA Division I? Down the road, TDR promises to also provide similar analysis of NCAA Div. II and III championship coaches, as well as those who head up NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) wrestling programs that have won national titles.
Questions? Comments? Contact TDR editor Martin Fleming directly at martinkfleming@gmail.com.
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