Lisbon living legend Coach Brad Smith is hard to write about without it turning into a laundry list of dozens of accolades he has achieved over the years.
And Smith has just added two more.
In over 40 years as a coach, Smith accumulated the record for most dual meet wins in Iowa wrestling history — taking the record of 645 in 2020 — but last week, he collected his 700th win. Only three other coaches have hit 500.
The other accolade? Smith will be the Grand Marshall at this year’s Grand March at the Iowa boys wrestling state championship. The coach will escort 336 medalists out to be recognized by the crowd at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
The Iowa High School Athletic Association’s wrestling executive director, Lewie Curtis, called Smith and asked if he’d like the rare honor. To be a coach and be asked, surprisingly, is an even rarer honor.
Curtis asked Smith to lead the young athletes, as Smith has the most dual meet wins, and most state championships, of any coach in Iowa history.
“It’s pretty cool,” Smith said of the consideration. “He just asked me, and I said, ‘Sure, I’ll do it.’”
Smith started his wrestling life as a two-time, undefeated state champion in Illinois, a two-time All-American, and a champion at the Junior Olympics. At the University of Iowa, he was a four-year letter winner, wrestled on two national championship teams, and was a national champ for the Hawkeyes (under the tutelage of another Iowa wrestling legend in Dan Gable) in 1976.
Smith went on to coach wrestling at Lisbon from 1979-1991, switched to Iowa City High from 1992-2011, and returned to Lisbon, where he remains to this day.
While at both schools, to put it mildly, Smith has won a whole lot. His teams have won three traditional state championships at City High. He had already won seven traditional state championships in his first stint in Lisbon. Shortly after returning to the school, the Lions won back-to-back state championships in 2017 and 2018.
That’s to say nothing of all the state dual crowns his teams collected or individual state champions he’s guided.
Smith was Iowa Coach of the Year in 1986, National Coach of the Year in 1990, and is a member of multiple halls of fame.
The coach retrieved win number 700 last week during a Tri-Rivers Conference triangular last Thursday with North Cedar and Alburnett.
It came during the first dual of the evening, against North Cedar, and Smith noticed the fans in the seats suddenly take to their feet and hold up signs with “700” on them.
“That was fun, that was cool,” he said. “That was a cool moment. It’s pretty neat.”
Smith was sure to stress that his achievements were not merely his alone.
“I’ve been blessed with a lot of good wrestlers,” said Smith. “I’ve also had great assistant coaches. It’s not all me. It takes a lot of people and a lot of years to get that many dual wins.”
Smith returned to that second point.
“It’ll be a tough one to catch, because whoever wants to do it is going to have to hang on as long as I did,” he said.
700th win for Smith
Trent Bowman
January 26, 2023
Contributed photo by Trish Kohl
Lisbon wrestling coach Brad Smith picked up his 700th dual win as a coach against North Cedar Thursday, Jan. 19. Here he and the Lisbon wrestling team take a few minutes to celebrate the achievement.
--Courtesy photo Jennifer Tischer
Coach Brad Smith signs autographs on posters celebrating his 700th win at Midland Thursday evening.