Kevin Dresser GARY ABBOTT’S MATSIDE CHAT WITH...
Kevin Dresser was a two-time Iowa state champion who went to Iowa to wrestle for Dan Gable during the peak of the Hawkeye’s dominance of Div. I wrestling. Dresser was a mem- ber of five NCAA champion teams, a two-time All-American who won an individual national title as a senior. He started his coaching career on the high school level, bringing a pair of Virginia teams to national prominence, first at Grundy then at Christiansburg. He took over the Virginia Tech program and has built his team into a national power and a leader in the improved ACC. This year, Virginia Tech enters the year with a No. 6 preseason team ranking. We visited Dresser before the start of the new college season.
USA Wrestler: How did you get involved in wrestling as a youth, and what did you like about the sport? Dresser: Growing up in Iowa, you are exposed to wrestling at a young age, probably whether you want to or not. I was exposed to it at about seven years old. We had a high school wrestling coach, Joe Fitch, who was a real high energy guy. As a little guy, I probably went to two practices and a little tourna- ment. I won the tournament. I had four guys in my weight. Coach Fitch was telling me I was a Tiger. I didn’t know what that meant, but the way he said it, it sounded pretty cool. From that point on, I really liked the physicalness of wrestling. I had a brother who was a year younger. Like a lot of people out there, it was an opportunity to legally fight in a rubber room. I took to it right away.
USA Wrestler: Who were your early influences in wrestling, and when did you realize that you had ability in the sport? Dresser: My thought was I was pretty good right away and I wanted to be better. I had Joe Fitch, and our neighbor across the street, the middle school coach, Larry Leibold, who was a young coach. I had access to two guys who really liked wrestling and helped develop me at a young age. I give those guys credit for being in my life very early.
USA Wrestler: What are your top memories from your high school career and what are you most proud of? Dresser: Winning a couple state titles in Iowa was a big deal. I was on a real good team my senior year. I was getting the opportunity to be recruited and getting an opportunity to wrestle in front of a lot of people at Vets Auditorium. I remember watch- ing in eighth grade and thinking how cool it would be to get down there. In eighth grade, I made a decision I would be down there, come hell or high water. I was going to be down on that floor on Saturday night. It was just fun stuff that kids dream about.
USA Wrestler: Why did you pick Iowa for college, and what did you learn about Dan Gable’s team when you joined up? Dresser: They started recruiting me my junior year. I remem- ber getting a letter from them saying they were recruiting me. I was real excited. As a typical Iowa kid, you grow up watching Iowa Public Television. Every Saturday night, there was college wrestling on live. We were spoiled as Iowa kids. My senior year,
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For 10 years, Kevin Dresser has built Virginia Tech into a nationally-ranked and respected program. Photo courtesy of Virginia Tech Athletics.
Iowa had won their fourth national title in a row. Gable really had it going on there. I got a chance to watch Randy Lewis on TV, the Zaleskys and the Banachs. I was a huge fan. I knew a lot about Iowa State and UNI too. Iowa was a good fit for me because of that environment. I wanted to train with all those guys I watched on TV. It was a good choice. Five years later, we won five more national championships and my story ended really well.
USA Wrestler: How difficult was it to break into that Iowa lineup and what was expected when you became varsity? Dresser: That’s the thing. When I got recruited, a lot of people said I made a mistake because I would never get into that line- up. I wasn’t that caliber. All my haters and doubters said I wasn’t good enough to go there. That was fuel to the fire. They were almost right. It took me three years to make the team. I redshirt- ed, then I got beat in the final wrestle-offs two years. Jeff Kerber and Lenny Zalesky were guys who were in front of me my early years. I got in the lineup my junior and senior years. I was sec- ond seed at nationals my junior year and screwed up and got fourth place. I was the No. 1 seed my senior year and won it. I was definitely ready when I got there. I was ready to go.
USA Wrestler: Your senior year, you won the NCAA title. What was the difference in your wrestling that season? Dresser: It was at Carver-Hawkeye and that was a cool thing to win in front of a more than partisan Hawkeye crowd. I wasn’t that far off as a junior. The same four guys that placed top four as juniors also placed top four as seniors. That Iowa environ- ment was so conducive to getting better. There were so many guys to train with who were overachievers. I liked to ‘live wres-
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