Smith and Strobel named as U.S. Olympic Committee Coaches of the Year for Wrestling 
   
 The U.S. Olympic Committee has named John Smith of Stillwater, Okla. and Greg Strobel of Bethlehem, Pa. as USOC Coaches of the Year for wrestling. Smith was named as the USOC National Wrestling Coach of the Year and Strobel was named the USOC Developmental Wrestling Coach of the Year. Each coach is now eligible for the USOC overall National and Developmental Coach of the Year awards.   
 Smith has been named as a co-head coach of the 2000 Olympic freestyle team and has served as the head coach of the 1999 Pan American Games freestyle team and the 1998 U.S. Freestyle World team, which placed third in the World Championships, held in Tehran, Iran. Smith was honored by USA Wrestling as the 1998 Freestyle Coach of the Year.    
 He was also the head coach of the 1998 U.S. Goodwill Games team, which captured the team title and featured three individual gold medalists. He was a co-coach of the 1997 U.S. World Cup team that won the team title and made history by winning every bout in the gold-medal match against Russia.   
 Smith is currently the head coach at Oklahoma State Univ., one of the most successful Div. I wrestling programs in history. Smith led the Cowboys to the 1994 NCAA team title and second place at the 1998 NCAA Championships. As an athlete, Smith was considered by many the best freestyle wrestler in U.S. history. He claimed gold medals at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games, and won four World gold medals (1987, 1989, 1990, 1991). His six straight World-level titles is unprecedented. He also won titles at the Pan American Games, Goodwill Games and World Cup. Smith was a two-time NCAA champion for Oklahoma State, and originally hails from Del City, Okla.   
 Strobel was named by USA Wrestling as the 1999 Developmental Coach of the Year. He was previously named the USOC National Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1998 and the 1997 Freestyle Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. He has also been named as co-head coach of the 2000 Olympic freestyle team and has served as the assistant coach of the 1999 Pan American Games freestyle team and the 1996 U.S. Olympic freestyle team, which claimed five medals, including three individual champions.    
 He was the head coach of the 1994 U.S. Goodwill Games team, which featured two individual gold medalists. He was a co-coach of the 1997 U.S. World Cup team that won the team title and made history by winning every bout in the gold-medal match against Russia. He was assistant coach of the 1995 U.S. World team, which claimed the World team title and featured four champions. Strobel also served as head coach for the 1997 U.S. Junior World team.   
 He is currently the head coach at Lehigh Univ., one of the traditional Eastern wrestling powers. He worked as the head coach of the national champion Team Foxcatcher club for a number of years. He also served nine years as National Teams Director for USA Wrestling. Strobel was also an assistant coach at Oregon State Univ. He was a talented freestyle wrestler, and won two NCAA titles for Oregon State. Strobel originally hails from Scapoose, Ore.   
 The United States Olympic Committee's Coaches of the Year award program provides a chance for coaches, at any level, to receive recognition for the thousands of hours spent with American athletes.   
 The National Coach of the Year winners had strong showings at the 1999 Pan American Games and strong finishes in world championships that helped them make their mark. The Developmental Coaches of the Year worked at the grassroots level with young athletes who showed promise, helping them believe in themselves, which helps them become winners.   
 This year's pool of nominees from all Olympic sports is heavily favored with Olympic coaches, Olympic athletes, Pan American coaches and Pan American athletes. The nominees boast 13 Olympic coaches, seven Olympic athletes, three Pan American coaches and eight Pan American athletes.    
 Smith and Strobel, along with the award winners from the other sports, will be honored at a dinner in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18, that will be hosted by the Washington, Baltimore Regional 2012 Coalition. The two overall category winners for the 1999 USOC Coach of the Year will be announced at that time.