New book on Dan Gable offers strong insight on wrestling legend
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by Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
Just when you think you know most everything about Dan Gable, there’s even more to his amazing and incredible story.
Gable, the Olympic gold medalist and 15-time NCAA championship coach, is someone I grew up idolizing and someone I wanted to wrestle for while growing up just 30 miles from the University of Iowa campus.
I’ve read virtually everything that’s been written on Gable, including numerous articles I’ve written myself as a sportswriter and as the senior communications manager at USA Wrestling. I’ve been fortunate to interview him seemingly countless times for articles, and I’ve interviewed him for two books I’ve written on wrestling.
When I was given a copy this weekend of the new book – “A Wrestling Life: The Inspiring Stories of Dan Gable” – I couldn’t wait to read it. I discovered much more about a man I deeply respect and who remains a legendary figure in the sport of wrestling.
Gable is one of the most interesting and genuine people you will ever meet. Even with his huge celebrity in Iowa, and being known and respected nationwide and worldwide through wrestling circles, the guy has remained very down-to-earth, humble, candid and accessible.
This comes through strongly in the book that Gable did with author Scott Schulte, who I met during the National Duals on Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The book starts with some of Gable’s feisty and ornery days in Waterloo. His exuberant childhood days have been chronicled frequently, but it was interesting to hear Gable relate in the first-person account of this book some of the stories of his early days.
The story about a young Gable becoming angry while at a department store and biting the backside of an older woman is a classic.
I loved reading about how his legendary work ethic was developed through not only competing in sports, but through a hard-labor construction job he had in the summer where the teenage Gable consistently outworked grown men.
Gable talks very candidly about growing up in a home where drinking and arguing between his parents, and the local police having to come over because of disputes, was fairly commonplace.
But he also talked about the pivotal moments where his parents came down hard on him to help him overcome setbacks and stay on the right course with his life. A letter his mother wrote him had a profound impact not only on him but his entire family as well.
Gable provides a new and interesting perspective on the awful tragedy he endured growing up when his older sister, Diane, was murdered in their Waterloo home. It was intriguing to learn that Gable chose to move into his late sister’s bedroom after her death to help the family cope with the tragedy.
Gable talks openly about his much-publicized loss to Larry Owings in his final college match. Gable’s main goal as a senior had been to beat the returning NCAA champion from the weight class above him. He had put all of his emphasis on that goal, and after he accomplished it he had trouble refocusing on the NCAAs a few weeks later. He talks about how he was impacted and affected when Owings was quoted in the newspaper saying he was going to beat Gable at the 1970 NCAAs.
I really enjoyed learning more about Gable’s family. So much is written about Gable’s wrestling and coaching exploits, but very little about his wife, Kathy, and their four daughters.
I loved hearing the perspective that each of his daughters brought to the book with their recollections of their time with their father. Gable also chronicled what his relationship was like with each of them. He never had a son, but he said he was fine with that as long as his daughters were healthy and happy.
Gable’s life obviously revolved around wrestling, but the entire Gable family was "all in" with what Dan was doing. They loved the experiences of being around the Hawkeye program when he was coaching. His youngest daughter actually had a difficult time coping without the wrestling trips when Gable stepped down as Iowa’s coach after the 1996-97 season.
There are some great stories in there that shed a different light on how some people might perceive Gable. He is known as this tough, hard-nosed, intense, single-minded workaholic, which he most certainly was, but there is definitely a different side to him off the mat. He is completely devoted to his family and they were right by his side to share many of his magical moments as Iowa’s head coach.
During the 2013 fight to keep wrestling in the Olympics, Gable stepped up and was one of the leaders in helping wrestling stay in the Games. He was anywhere and everywhere, making appearances and doing whatever was necessary to help the cause, and his family was completely behind him. When his daughter was married in 2013, the entire wedding party wore “Save Olympic Wrestling” T-shirts.
Chapters on the Banach twins, the Brands twins, Lincoln McIlravy and Chad Zaputil are must-reads as well, with great insight provided on their relationships with Gable. There also is the story of the missing Barry Davis, one that many Iowa fans know well, but it’s told from a slightly different perspective.
The 155-page book is an easy and very compelling read. I made it through the first half of the book after arriving at my Des Moines hotel on Sunday night and I completed it after arriving at the Des Moines airport this morning.
My only real issue with the book is I wanted more. There are so many incredible stories about Dan Gable and he has impacted so many people in his remarkable life.
There is talk of a possible Gable sequel to this book, and I would love to read more about a man who has done so much for the sport and beyond. I’m sure Gable may have a few more stories to share about big personalities like NCAA champions Randy Lewis, Royce Alger and Rico Chiapparelli, plus other colorful characters like Ray Brinzer.
I would highly recommend checking this book out if you can. It’s more than worth your time to take a few hours to read it.
The book is now on sale and is available for purchase on Amazon.com. The book can also be ordered by calling the Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745 or by e-mailing dgmstaff@nwhof.org.
The book also will be available for purchase next month at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis.
Gable, the Olympic gold medalist and 15-time NCAA championship coach, is someone I grew up idolizing and someone I wanted to wrestle for while growing up just 30 miles from the University of Iowa campus.
I’ve read virtually everything that’s been written on Gable, including numerous articles I’ve written myself as a sportswriter and as the senior communications manager at USA Wrestling. I’ve been fortunate to interview him seemingly countless times for articles, and I’ve interviewed him for two books I’ve written on wrestling.
When I was given a copy this weekend of the new book – “A Wrestling Life: The Inspiring Stories of Dan Gable” – I couldn’t wait to read it. I discovered much more about a man I deeply respect and who remains a legendary figure in the sport of wrestling.
Gable is one of the most interesting and genuine people you will ever meet. Even with his huge celebrity in Iowa, and being known and respected nationwide and worldwide through wrestling circles, the guy has remained very down-to-earth, humble, candid and accessible.
This comes through strongly in the book that Gable did with author Scott Schulte, who I met during the National Duals on Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The book starts with some of Gable’s feisty and ornery days in Waterloo. His exuberant childhood days have been chronicled frequently, but it was interesting to hear Gable relate in the first-person account of this book some of the stories of his early days.
The story about a young Gable becoming angry while at a department store and biting the backside of an older woman is a classic.
I loved reading about how his legendary work ethic was developed through not only competing in sports, but through a hard-labor construction job he had in the summer where the teenage Gable consistently outworked grown men.
Gable talks very candidly about growing up in a home where drinking and arguing between his parents, and the local police having to come over because of disputes, was fairly commonplace.
But he also talked about the pivotal moments where his parents came down hard on him to help him overcome setbacks and stay on the right course with his life. A letter his mother wrote him had a profound impact not only on him but his entire family as well.
Gable provides a new and interesting perspective on the awful tragedy he endured growing up when his older sister, Diane, was murdered in their Waterloo home. It was intriguing to learn that Gable chose to move into his late sister’s bedroom after her death to help the family cope with the tragedy.
Gable talks openly about his much-publicized loss to Larry Owings in his final college match. Gable’s main goal as a senior had been to beat the returning NCAA champion from the weight class above him. He had put all of his emphasis on that goal, and after he accomplished it he had trouble refocusing on the NCAAs a few weeks later. He talks about how he was impacted and affected when Owings was quoted in the newspaper saying he was going to beat Gable at the 1970 NCAAs.
I really enjoyed learning more about Gable’s family. So much is written about Gable’s wrestling and coaching exploits, but very little about his wife, Kathy, and their four daughters.
I loved hearing the perspective that each of his daughters brought to the book with their recollections of their time with their father. Gable also chronicled what his relationship was like with each of them. He never had a son, but he said he was fine with that as long as his daughters were healthy and happy.
Gable’s life obviously revolved around wrestling, but the entire Gable family was "all in" with what Dan was doing. They loved the experiences of being around the Hawkeye program when he was coaching. His youngest daughter actually had a difficult time coping without the wrestling trips when Gable stepped down as Iowa’s coach after the 1996-97 season.
There are some great stories in there that shed a different light on how some people might perceive Gable. He is known as this tough, hard-nosed, intense, single-minded workaholic, which he most certainly was, but there is definitely a different side to him off the mat. He is completely devoted to his family and they were right by his side to share many of his magical moments as Iowa’s head coach.
During the 2013 fight to keep wrestling in the Olympics, Gable stepped up and was one of the leaders in helping wrestling stay in the Games. He was anywhere and everywhere, making appearances and doing whatever was necessary to help the cause, and his family was completely behind him. When his daughter was married in 2013, the entire wedding party wore “Save Olympic Wrestling” T-shirts.
Chapters on the Banach twins, the Brands twins, Lincoln McIlravy and Chad Zaputil are must-reads as well, with great insight provided on their relationships with Gable. There also is the story of the missing Barry Davis, one that many Iowa fans know well, but it’s told from a slightly different perspective.
The 155-page book is an easy and very compelling read. I made it through the first half of the book after arriving at my Des Moines hotel on Sunday night and I completed it after arriving at the Des Moines airport this morning.
My only real issue with the book is I wanted more. There are so many incredible stories about Dan Gable and he has impacted so many people in his remarkable life.
There is talk of a possible Gable sequel to this book, and I would love to read more about a man who has done so much for the sport and beyond. I’m sure Gable may have a few more stories to share about big personalities like NCAA champions Randy Lewis, Royce Alger and Rico Chiapparelli, plus other colorful characters like Ray Brinzer.
I would highly recommend checking this book out if you can. It’s more than worth your time to take a few hours to read it.
The book is now on sale and is available for purchase on Amazon.com. The book can also be ordered by calling the Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745 or by e-mailing dgmstaff@nwhof.org.
The book also will be available for purchase next month at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis.
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