The Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association announced that former Clarion resident, John Johnson, will be awarded the Dan McCool Media Award (IOWA). This award is given to honor an individual who has supported and promoted the sport of wrestling through media.
Johnson has contributed to the sport of wrestling media through articles, photos, and broadcasting for over 30 years. The award is named after the late Dan McCool, also a former Clarion resident. McCool was a longtime wrestling media specialist and author.
About receiving the award, Johnson said, “I am very honored and humbled. Dan McCool was a legend in the wrestling world in Iowa, and I am honored to receive a media award with Dan’s name on it. This particular award has been very, very emotional for me- as Dan and I went to school and church together in Clarion when we were kids, and we worked side-by-side at numerous wrestling events. To say we were good friends would be an understatement. It was a huge loss to me and the wrestling world when Dan passed in May of 2020. I have a passion for the sport of wrestling and I love to give back to the great sport- I am not in it for the recognition.”
He went on to say, “I think my biggest accomplishment as it relates to the award would be the fact that I have been able to contribute and help promote the great sport of wrestling and in the process, developed some great relationships and friendships.”
Johnson will be recognized during the IWCOA and National Wrestling Hall of Fame awards luncheon on October 30, at the Airport Holiday Inn, in Des Moines. John resides in Winthrop, Iowa, with his wife Lois, and he is the son of the late Jim and Colleen Johnson.
