Cal Poly Wrestling Adds Iowa All-American Nelson Brands to Coaching Staff
6/3/2026 8:00:00 AM | Wrestling
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Nelson Brands, an NCAA All-American during his time wrestling at the University of Iowa, has officially been hired as an assistant coach for the Cal Poly wrestling program, head coach Jon Sioredas announced Wednesday.
I can’t wait to work alongside this coaching staff and group of athletes. I’m bringing a relentless work ethic and infectious positive energy to help elevate the team as we build something special together.Nelson Brands, Assistant Coach
Brands joins the Mustangs after a standout career on the mat at Iowa from 2018-25 and an impressive start to his coaching career that has drawn plenty of attention across the wrestling community.
“Nelson is the total package, and we are thrilled to bring him to San Luis Obispo,” Sioredas said. “He competed at the highest level of college wrestling, he was raised inside one of the toughest cultures the sport has ever produced, and he has a genuine passion for developing young men. Our athletes are going to learn a tremendous amount from him, both on the mat and in the way he carries himself. This is a major addition for our program.”
A two-time NCAA qualifier, Brands secured All-American honors for the Hawkeyes in 2022-23, placing fifth at 174 pounds to cap a stellar breakthrough season. Seeded 11th entering the NCAA Championships, Brands posted a 5-2 record and advanced to the quarterfinals, defeating five top-15 nationally ranked opponents along the way.
After wrapping up his wrestling career at Iowa in 2024-25, Brands served as the head wrestling coach at Iowa City’s Regina High School this past season, where he led the program to a winning dual record and multiple top five tournament finishes.
This is a major addition for our program.Jon Sioredas, Head Coach
Brands brings his distinguished resume both on and off the mat to a Mustang program that has established itself as a top 25 team in the nation year in and year out.
“I’m fired up to join the Cal Poly wrestling family,” Brands said. “The program’s clear vision, winning culture, and high-energy atmosphere immediately stood out to me, and I can’t wait to work alongside this coaching staff and group of athletes. I’m bringing a relentless work ethic and infectious positive energy to help elevate the team as we build something special together. Go Mustangs!”
Brands carries one of the most respected and accomplished names in American wrestling as he is the son of Terry Brands, a two-time World champion, an Olympic bronze medalist, a two-time NCAA champion, and a longtime associate head coach at Iowa. On top of that, his nephew, Tom Brands, is an Olympic gold medalist, a three-time NCAA champion and the current head coach of the Hawkeyes.
Growing up in a family with that much history and prestige in the sport, Brands has trained and learned from some of the best wrestlers and coaches in the World, and he plans on bringing that experience to San Luis Obispo to help Cal Poly continue to reach even greater heights nationally.
Brands posted a 59-21 overall record during his career at Iowa (2018-25), placing fourth at the Big Ten Championships in 2021 and fifth in 2023, securing automatic berths to the NCAAs both years. He was nationally-ranked for three seasons during his time at Iowa, reaching as high as No. 6 in 2020-21. He was also a two-time Academic All-American.
Brands worked as an assistant coach with the Eastern Iowa Wrestling Club as well, mentoring countless youth wresters, and serving as a clinician at wrestling camps across the country.
Prior to becoming a Hawkeye, Brands was one of the most dominant prep wrestlers in the state of Iowa, capturing three state titles while at Iowa City West High School, winning championships at 138 pounds in 2016, 152 pounds in 2017, and 160 pounds in 2018. He was a four-time Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet champion and remains the only wrestler ever voted the meet’s Outstanding Wrestler in all four years. He also set a school record for takedowns in a season.
Brands joins a Cal Poly program that earned a top 25 ranking nationally for the sixth consecutive season in 2025-26, qualified at least four wrestlers for the NCAA Championships for the fifth straight year and set program records for Pac-12 individual champions and placers at the prestigious Cliff Keen Invitational and Midlands Championships.
