A statue of legendary Iowa wrestling coach Dan Gable that has been in the works since last summer will be unveiled on April 18, according to a release.

The unveiling of the bronze statue will take place outside the main entrance to Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 4:30 p.m., and that will be followed by a reception in the Dale and Marilyn Howard Family Pavilion. The event will be free and open to the public.

The statue — which depicts Gable pumping his fist and pointing at an unseen grappler from the sidelines of a wrestling match — was created by Larry Nowlan, the same artist responsible for the Nile Kinnick statue and relief in Kinnick Stadium. Prior to the Gable piece, his most recent work for the University of Iowa was the butterfly-stroke relief in the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center.

Gable coached the Hawkeye wrestling team to a 355-21-5 record during a career lasting from 1976-97. An Olympic gold medalist in 1972, Gable tutored 10 Olympians to go along with 152 All-Americans, 106 Big Ten champions, and 45 national champions. His Iowa teams won 21-consecutive Big Ten titles while he was the head coach.

"Coach Gable stands in a class on his own in terms of the contributions he has made to the University of Iowa and the sport of wrestling," Athletics Director Gary Barta said in a release. "We believe this statue is a fitting and well-deserved tribute that honors his legacy."

— by Seth Roberts