New "Strobel" book on former Lehigh coach/Oregon State wrestler Greg Strobel

November 4, 9:00 PMCollege Wrestling ExaminerMark Palmer

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Greg Strobel tells his life story in "Strobel: Stories from a Life With Wrestling" by Jamie Moffatt
Photo/Jamie Moffatt

Oregon high school state champion. Two-time NCAA champion from Oregon State. Administrator at USA Wrestling. Coach for John duPont's Team Foxcatcher. Head coach at Lehigh University. All of these are accurate statements of the accomplishments of Greg Strobel.

However, even the most obsessive wrestling fans may not know about other aspects of Strobel's life as a devoted husband and father to two daughters, an avid fly fisherman, passionate about precision woodworking, and, since July 2008, Assistant Athletic Director for External Relations at Lehigh.

The multiple dimensions of Greg Strobel's life and career are now revealed in Strobel: Stories From a Life With Wrestling, a brand-new 175-page book from Jamie Moffatt, produced by Exit Zero Publishing, Inc.

This is Moffatt's third wrestling book. Two years ago, he wrote Wrestlers at the Trials, sharing the stories of wrestlers fighting for spots on U.S. Olympic teams from 1960-1988; in 2003, Moffatt teamed up with Roger Olesen on A Turning Point, which provided a fascinating look at the 1953 NCAAs at Penn State and the individual champs crowned there.

With Strobel, Moffatt continues a thread established by his previous works -- providing a rather personal, you-are-there journey through wrestling history -- by telling the story of one man immersed in wrestling from an early age, in his own voice.

It's that "in his own voice" aspect that makes Strobel so fascinating. It's like reading a memoir, only, with the thoughts and observations of friends, family, associates and wrestlers weighing in with their own commentary. 

Yet another winning aspect about the book: its photographs. The imagery in Strobel goes beyond the "expected" shots of a coach in jacket-and-tie matside, shouting instructions to his wrestler... or in sweatclothes in the wrestling room. It's fun to see Greg Strobel fishing, skiing, sharing time with the family he grew up with... as well as his wife and daughters.

Resources

InterMat Rewind article on Strobel book

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