Wrestling in the West

Jim Zalesky is one of the all time great Collegiate wrestlers and Coaches in American History. For over 20 years the Iowa native was attached to the Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling team and help build it into…
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Jim Zalesky is one of the all time great Collegiate wrestlers and Coaches in American History. For over 20 years the Iowa native was attached to the Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling team and help build it into…
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Jim Zalesky is one of the all time great Collegiate wrestlers and Coaches in American History. For over 20 years the Iowa native was attached to the Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling team and help build it into a legendary program. After 2006 season he parted from University of Iowa and took a head coaching position at Oregon State.

Jim grew up with his older brother Lennie in Iowa. They dove into wrestling and had great success much like their many other athletic siblings. In High School they found the means to get a mat in their basement and where they would practice at all times with other kids from the neighborhood. After High School Jim followed Lennie to the University of Iowa. He quickly began to emerge as a superior athlete. He ended up winning three NCAA championships, the most ever at that time, and was named OW in one of them.

The next 20 years Jim Zalesky?s life revolved around Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling. And he was a key component in making it a dynasty. In the mid-90s Jim Zalesky took over the head coaching position from the legendary Dan Gable. He won 3 consecutive National Championships through 2000.

Jim Zalesky has started a new chapter in his wrestling life when he went to Oregon State and instantly revamped the program. In 2007, his first year, he led the Beavers to their first PAC 10 title in over a decade.