First of all, I know nothing about this sport...
I watched ESPN Sportscentury on Dan Gable. It was impressive. I got a few questions:
Do both Iowa and Iowa State claim him as a great sports figure?
Is he looked down upon for coaching for Iowa?
Did Iowa State offer him a job?
Thanks.
These are not dumb questions.
Both claim him. Gable doesn't claim Iowa State so much any more, because he has been at UI so long, but this is understandable. I think some here overstate this.
At the time UI hired Gable, Iowa State was also on top of the wrestling world under Coach Harold Nichols. Although Iowa State has a long tradition at or near the top, Oklahoma State was (and is) historically the best, so the Nichols' years were more an exception (ISU was historically 2nd best). From what I have read, mostly on message boards such as this, there just wasn't a position for Gable at the time he was ready to coach - or at least one that paid well - and again, Nichols wasn't near retirement. Neither was it known or a given that Gable would be as great a coach as he was a wrestler. And Roy Carver at that time had a ton of money to pour into UI. In hindsight it is easy to see that Iowa State should have done everything to keep him, but college athletics in general weren't that focused on money in those days. Given how long Nichols continued to coach, I'm not sure how long Gable would have coached at ISU even if had he stayed. In answer to your question, Iowa State had an excellent assistant at the time, and I don't think Gable was offered paid position as a coach. Moreover, with Carver at UI, especially, the opportunity at UI at the time was there.
I don't think many look down on him for coaching at UI. But legitimately I think many question the behavior and sportsmanship of some of his wrestlers.
And for quite awhile, when UI was on top under Gable, he made demeaning comments about Iowa State. As the UI coach, of course he would have incentive to do this. In part, in large part, his comments related to the way Iowa State wrestled. Whereas Gable (and most of his wrestlers) typically have more of an attacking style, not everyone wrestles best that way. And that style may not be the best against opponents of similar high quality. It helps to be about the best to begin with. Iowa State has always recruited well nationally, but in Gable's best years, it was difficult to recruit instate. A state of Iowa recruit might rather walk-on then at UI, for example, than accept a scholarship at Iowa State. So Gable's comments could be a bit self-reinforcing. My general impression (perhaps incorrect) is that at UI it is best to wrestle the way Gable did, whereas at Iowa State his style was just one of many. Bobby Douglas is also one of the few people to ever beat Gable. Though Douglas was older, and Gable still in college, Douglas defeated Gable 11 to 1 in the 1968 Olympic trials. So there is that aspect also.
In mental preparation, though, Gable was the best. One of my fondest memories at Iowa State was an inside look at ISU assistant (and former UI champion) Ed Banach mentally prepare Iowa State wrestlers all year, the year everyone expected UI to set the NCAA record for consecutive team championships in any sport (11 or something), with techniques surely borrowed directly from Gable himself, and in the same space where Gable himself would have trained. No one thought anyone else would win, except the Iowa State wrestlers, which they did.
With Sanderson at Iowa State and Brands at UI, both Olympic gold medalists, the competition between the two should be interesting. Brands exemplifies Gable's style of wrestling. Sanderson's own style would be difficult to emulate (though it was also attacking). Iowa State has many top wrestlers, but the ISU juniors were recruited when Douglas was still head coach. So Sanderson probably still has yet to put more of his stamp on the program.
