University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Panther wrestling legend Bill Smith to be honored with jersey retirement ceremony
2/9/2026 3:00:00 PM | Wrestling
Olympic gold medalist and two-time national champion will be celebrated with a new banner in McLeod Center.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- Bill Smith, one of the most celebrated and recognized athletes in the history of the UNI wrestling program, will be honored on Saturday night as the UNI Athletic Department retires his jersey in a pre-dual ceremony during its home Big 12 dual against West Virginia.
Smith, who passed away in 2018, will be represented by members of his family as a banner is unveiled in the McLeod Center rafters bearing his name and 1940s UNI styled singlet, as well as a banner plaque for Smith's family.
Northern Iowa's Feb. 14 dual will also serve as its first event on its brand new competition mat, named in Smith's memory.
The ceremony for Smith will be just the first of 19 planned jersey retirements for UNI Athletics in 2026 following the announcement of the launch of the department's jersey retirement program as part of UNI's sesquicentennial celebration. The Panther men's basketball program will retire AJ Green's jersey on Sunday, Feb. 15 against Drake, while the UNI women's basketball team will recognize Jacqui Kalin on Feb. 28 vs. UIC.Â
Additionally, UNI will retire jerseys of iconic Panthers for other teams later this year, as well as for athletes whose sports are no longer sponsored by the university during the 2026 homecoming celebration at its All-Sports Reunion.
"Any time you get to put a jersey in the rafters it's a pretty cool thing," said UNI head coach Doug Schwab. "I look forward to welcoming his family to town as they support him. I got to know Bill before he passed and he loved UNI wrestling! He had an immense amount of pride when he competed here and for the program where it is now. I can't think of a better guy to put up in the rafters and the first one for the program."
Born in Portland, Oregon in 1928, Smith grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa where he was a two-time state medalist at Jefferson High School. From 1948 to 1951, Smith put together a breakout wrestling career for the then-Iowa State Teacher's College (ISTC) under head coach Dave McCuskey, posting a record of 52-0-1. He most notably captured back-to-back NCAA titles and All-American honors at 165 pounds in 1949 and 1950, helping the Panthers finish second as a team at the national championships with his first title, and as NCAA team champions the following season on their home mat in the West Gym.
college teammate Keith Young.
A three-time national AAU freestyle champion (1949-51), Smith stepped onto the world stage at 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland for the United States, becoming the fifth and most recent Panther wrestler to compete in the games. In the Olympics, he won five of his six matches in the freestyle welterweight division with two pins, joining Gerald Leeman as the second ISTC wrestler to medal at the Olympics, and became the university's second Olympic champion, joining William "Red" Hamilton (1908, track and field).
Following his competitive career, Smith entered the coaching realm in Rock Island, Illinois, where he helped lead Rock Island High School to a 57-5 dual record in four seasons and a state title. He also spent nearly a decade at the Olympic Club of San Francisco, helping lead the program to seven national team titles in both freestyle and Greco-Roman disciplines.
In 1968, Smith returned to the Olympics as head coach of Team Canada for the Mexico City Games with a team of 16 competitors. Smith returned to high school coaching in California shortly after at Clayton Valley High School, helping the wrestling program to a state championship in 1976.
Smith was inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1972 for his contributions to the sport, as well as the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1978 as a distinguished member. In 1985, he was one the first 12 members inducted into the inaugural UNI Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame, joined alongside his college coach in McCuskey, as well as fellow Panther wrestlers Leeman, Bill Koll and Keith Young.
Saturday's dual against West Virginia will begin at 7 p.m. CT with live coverage available on FloWrestling. Tickets can be purchased through the UNI Ticket Office, by calling 319-273-4849 or through email at tickets@uni.edu.
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UNI wrestling action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (University of Northern Iowa Wrestling), X (@UNI_wrestling) and on Instagram (@uni_panther_wrestling). Check out the latest Panther news and information online at UNIpanthers.com.
