Hawekeye coach might fly at season's end

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The end of an era seems to be upon the college wrestling world. Iowa coaching legend Dan Gable may be calling it quits.

Gable began his coaching career with the Hawkeyes in 1977, and Iowa won its third consecutive Big Ten title. But the Hawkeyes were unable to grab their third straight NCAA crown.

Then Gable-coached teams went on an unprecedented run of nine straight NCAA titles from 1978-1986. The streak of Big Ten championships is still intact. With this year's title, Iowa has won 24 straight conference crowns and 21 under Gable.

However, if the Hawkeyes want to keep adding to that record, they may have to do it with out their immortal leader.

"It'll be tough not to come back," Gable said, "but I've been preparing them for that. Whatever happens, they know they have to go on without me."

He also added his decision has been three to four years in the making, and an announcement may come within a month.

He had hip-replacement surgery in late January and is having trouble meeting the demands of a wrestling coach at a major program.

Also, Gable was born in Waterloo, Iowa, a small town bordering Cedar Falls, which is where the 1997 wrestling championships were held. This is significant because early in the year Gable said he would like to finish where he started.

And his main boss, his wife, may urge him to stop coaching.

"I think she wants me out," Gable said. "For us, it'll be based on whether we can handle this for another year."

At NCAAs, Gable's wrestlers said they were winning for their coach. The Hawkeyes did not just win, they dominated, amassing 170 points, five national champs and eight All-Americans.

"Every match I that I wrestle, I wrestle for Coach Gable," said Lincoln McIlravy, this year's 150-pound champ and the tournament's outstanding wrestler.

Gable's wrestlers came to the tournament with one goal ( a national title. In doing so, they set a record for total points and tied a record for most champions. They felt it was the only want to send out their coach if he is indeed leaving them.

"They knew they were going to win," Penn State coach John Fritz said. "You could see the fire in their eyes. They were on a mission."

Two of Iowa's title winners were not the favorites at their weight class. At 118 pounds, senior Jessie Whitmer, wrestling in his first NCAA tournament, was seeded No. 6 while 190-pounder Lee Fullhart was No. 4. But Gable convinced them they could come out on top.

"Coach Gable said at the beginning of the year that if I worked hard, I could become a national champion," Whitmer said.

One reason Gable's teams have done so well is the recruiting. He seems to always get the top athletes. An example is McIlravy, who won five South Dakota high school state titles ( he wrestled varsity in eighth grade.

If Gable decides to retire, the program would still be a force in wrestling. The Hawkeyes return five of their eight All-Americans from this year's squad, including 134-pound champion Mark Ironside, two-time champ Joe Williams at 158 pounds and Fullhart.

Also joining the team next year will be senior Jeff McGinness, a Big Ten and national champ in 1995 who redshirted this season. Another wrestler coming off a redshirt season is freshman Eric Juergens, a four-time Iowa high school state champ. On the way to his titles, Juergens posted a record of 144-0 with 100 pins.

The Hawkeye assistant coaches also have been preparing for Gable's departure, although no one knows who the next coach will be. Gable said he will not have a final say, but he hopes to influence the search committee's choice.

Regardless, the replacement will not be another Gable, although he won't be expected to be. The new coach will be expected to keep Iowa's wrestling tradition thriving as well as reaching the athletes, another thing Gable did well.

"Gable has been a huge influence on my life," Fullhart said. "He's been a father to me, not just a coach."