USA WRESTLING NAMES JOHN SMITH AS HEAD COACH AND GREG STROBEL AS ASSISTANT COACH OF 1999 PAN AMERICAN GAMES FREESTYLE WRESTLING TEAM 
  USA Wrestling has named John Smith of Stillwater, Okla. as head coach and Greg Strobelof Bethlehem, Pa. as assistant coach for the U.S. freestyle wrestling team that will compete in the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, July 24-Aug. 8. 
  The Pan American Games is a major multi-sport competition held every four years, featuring the best athletes from North, Central and South America. 
  The coaches were selected by USA Wrestling's Freestyle Coach Selection Committee and approved by USA Wrestling's Executive Committee. 
  USA Wrestling's selections must be formally approved by the U.S. Olympic Committee's International Games Preparation Committee. 
  Smith served as the head coach of the 1998 U.S. Freestyle World team, which placed third in the World Championships, held in Tehran, Iran. 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. 
  He 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 served as the assistant coach of the 1996 U.S. Olympic 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 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. 
  Along with Dan Gable of Iowa City, Iowa, Smith and Strobel will serve as co-head coaches of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team as well as the 1999 U.S. Freestyle World Team. 
  The athletes for the 1999 Pan American Games freestyle wrestling team will be determined at the 1999 Freestyle World Team Trials in Seattle, Wash., June 18-19. The U.S. is the defending freestyle team champion, winning the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, Argentina with seven champions and 10 medalists.