Dubuque, IA

The Best Wrestler — Dubuque, IA

Olympian-led system. Certified local coaching. A family that builds champions.

Parents want the best for their kids. But where do you start?

It’s hard to know which club will truly invest in your child’s growth. Some rooms are overcrowded. Some only care about wins. Too many kids get burned out before they even reach high school.

At The Best Wrestler — Dubuque, we believe your child deserves more.

Friday Night Clinics

Join us every Friday from March 6th through April 24th (no clinic on Good Friday) for focused training sessions designed to sharpen skills and build confidence on the mat.

Open to 6th–12th grade athletes

🕔 Time: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
💲 Cost:
• $20 – Clinic only
• $35 – Clinic + exclusive event T-shirt

These sessions are a great opportunity to get extra mat time, refine technique, and stay sharp this spring. We’re looking forward to seeing you there. Let’s get better together.

Be The Best!

Meet your Coaches

Olympians, world team members, state champions — more importantly, they are committed to developing your child with discipline, toughness, and character.

Evan Husko

Friday Night Lights Director

Coordinates Friday Night Lights duals, matches, and special events.
Leads Friday skill sessions and competitive-edge clinics.
Focused on match readiness, environment, and performance under lights.

Jon McGovern

Jon McGovern leads the University of Dubuque men’s wrestling program and serves as Head Coach for Best Wrestler Dubuque.

All-time career dual-meet wins leader at UD.
Multiple NCAA Division III Top-20 finishes, including two Top-15 national finishes.
Developed numerous NCAA All-Americans and National Champions.

Competitive Background

Two-time NCAA Division III National Champion (Central College).
USA National Team member.
Wins over NCAA Champions, Olympians, and World Team Members.

Jon’s coaching philosophy emphasizes technical mastery, elite mindset, discipline, and championship culture.

Will Kelly

Will Kelly is the Director of International Tours and a three-time Iowa State Champion from Dubuque Wahlert High School. His achievements include:

Iowa High School Athletic Association Wrestling Hall of Fame, Wartburg College Athletic Hall of Fame, and Dubuque Wahlert Hall of Fame.
Collegiate career at Wartburg College:
- Two-time NCAA Division III All-American (2002, 2003).
- NCAA Division III National Champion at 141 lbs his senior year.
- Competed previously at the University of Iowa under Dan Gable.
As a prep wrestler, he was a three-time Iowa 3A State Champion and 16U Freestyle National Champion.

Dennis Hall

Dennis Hall is among the most decorated Greco-Roman wrestlers in U.S. history and serves as UD’s Head Women’s Wrestling Coach.

Competitive Career:

Three-time USA Olympic Team member (1992, 1996, 2004) — Silver Medalist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
1995 Greco-Roman World Champion and 1994 World Bronze Medalist.
10-time U.S. National Champion and multiple Pan American Games champion.

Dennis brings world-class technical knowledge, competition insight, and coaching intensity to the Spartans program.

Cam’ron Harper

Cam’ron Harper is a Heavyweight NCAA Qualifier and contributes to practice planning, athlete development, and dual meet preparation.

Brad Parks

Brad has over 30 years’ experience in community engagement and social commerce technology development. In February of 2014, Brad financed the acquisition of the Hollywood Film Festival and became the CEO, before managing the acquisition of other “Hollywood” related brand properties that now make up the Hollywood Film Holding Corporation.

Prior to that, he worked over a decade each in three separate disciplines. First as V.P. of The Hanleigh Companies, America’s first-ever direct underwriter for Lloyds of London, specializing in entertainment, professional sports, high net-worth corporate and exceptional risk management and mitigation.

Ivan Delchev Ivanov

Georgi Ivanov

Simple Steps to get started

Book a Tour or Assessment

Visit our facility and meet your coach.

Train in the Olympic System

Proven methods that build wrestlers and people.

Watch them grow

See your child gain confidence. skill, and grit.

Programs Offered at Council Bluffs

Future Olympians

High School Group

World Team Members

9 — 14 Years Old

Little Champs

4 — 8 Years Old

Private 1-1 Sessions

Find a coach

Hear from families in Reno

"I can’t express the appreciation I have for Georgie and Ivan. They are passionate about developing youth wrestling and they have a way of transforming a kids mind set from liking the sport, to loving the sport. I have a 12 year old daughter that I would have never thought would get into a sport like wrestling. We are now in our third year being at The Best Wrestler and my daughter has dreams of becoming a National Champion and going on to wrestle collegiately. Georgie and Ivan have a way of communicating to the youth to dream big and work hard. They make every kid in the room feel as if they are important to them and they are on their way to being a champion."

My son, Rylan, has been with The Best Wrestler for just over a year, and the progress he’s made has been incredible. A year ago, he didn’t place at the AAU state tournament in folkstyle—now he’s taken 6th at AAU state and become both the USA Freestyle and Greco state champion. Physically, he’s stronger and more technical, but the biggest changes have been in his mindset. His confidence, discipline, and mental toughness have grown tremendously. The coaches here are second to none—they push the athletes to reach their full potential while building them up every step of the way. Their dedication, knowledge, and belief in these kids make all the difference. We’re proud to be part of this program and highly recommend it to anyone serious about wrestling development. Be The Best!

We would highly recommend Coach Ivan and Coach Georgi at The Best Wrestler. They are amazing coaches and people! They have distinguished backgrounds and experience in coaching and wrestling both domestically and internationally. They have had a tremendous influence on our son Joel. They were instrumental in helping him win his first two Fargo titles and the success has continued on from there. They were also extremely helpful during the college recruiting process. I would encourage you to bring your son or daughter in to meet with Coach Georgi and Coach Ivan to see how they can help them develop their skills as they have many others. The lessons they teach will not only help your son or daughter become a better wrestler, but also a better person on and off the mat. Also if you are wanting your son or daughter to jump levels in their wrestling abilities, I would highly recommend you get them to the morning workouts. They are a game changer! To your success- Joshua and Akemi Adams Parents of Joel Adams 2024 US Open U20 Greco National Champion 2022 U17 World Champion Greco 2022 U17 Pan Am Champion Freestyle and Greco 2022 US Open U17 Greco Champion Freestyle Runner-Up 3 time Greco World Team member U15, U17, U20 Super 32 Finalist 3 time Fargo Champion 3 time Nebraska High School Class A Folkstyle State Champion. Oregon State University Athlete

More than Wrestling

Your child won’t just learn takedowns. They’ll gain resilience, humility, and the courage to lead. Wrestling ends someday, but the lessons here last forever.

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