Chris Bono to be inducted into Iowa State Hall of Fame
March 05, 2025 | Wrestling
Three-time All-American, NCAA Champion, and Badger Wrestling head coach honored by Iowa State Athletics.
MADISON, Wis. – Badger Wrestling coach Chris Bono, was announced as an inductee into the Iowa State Athletics Hall of Fame class of 2025, on Wednesday, Mar. 5, 2025. This award celebrates his time wrestling Iowa State from 1994-1997, as well as his many accomplishments since. The ceremony will be on Oct. 24, 2025 at the Sukup End Zone Club in Ames, Iowa.
Bono boasts an outstanding career as an athlete at Iowa State. He was a three-time All American from 1995-1997. He won the NCAA Championship at 150 pounds in 1996, and was runner-up at the NCAA Championships in 1997. To earn these accomplishments, he competed at a high-level in both the Big Eight and Big 12. Bono won his first conference championship in 1996 in the Big Eight. The next year, in 1997, he was the Big 12 Conference Champion and awarded Most Outstanding Wrestler at the Big 12 Championship.
He finished his career at Iowa State with a 130-35 record, and holds the fifth-most wins in Iowa State history. Iowa State named him Male Athlete of the Year in 1997. Chris Bono also competed to help earn the team a second place finish at the NCAA Championships in 1996. After his time as an athlete, Bono was able to join the program as an assistant coach from 1998-2005 and again in 2010.
On a global stage, Chris Bono was a three-time World Team member in 2001, 2002, and 2005.
This award comes among several other hall of fame honors Bono has received including the 2004 Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, 2018 Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame - Iowa, 2023 National Wrestling Hall of Fame - Florida, 2024 Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic Hall of Fame, and 2024 Florida Wrestling Hall of Fame.
The Wisconsin head-wrestling coach is currently in his 16th season coaching, and his 7th season with the Badgers. Throughout his time at Wisconsin he has coached 37 NCAA qualifiers, 7 NCAA-All Americans, and two conference champions. Academically, he has coached the NWCA 2023 #3 NCAA Division 1 Scholar All-America Team, 21 NWCA Scholar All-Americans, 14 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars (3.7+ GPAs), 54 Academic All-Big Ten Honors (3.0+ GPAs), and 3 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District.
Coach Bono lives by hustle, effort and attitude, and encourages all to "win the day". His commitment to excellence led the team to record setting attendance for a single dual in 2023, at 5,256 fans at the UW-Field House.
"It is one heck of an honor to be inducted into the ISU Hall of Fame. I cannot thank the committee enough for this. I owe everything to Iowa State. I could have never accomplished what I did without the support of Bobby Douglas, Thom Ortiz. My teammates, the ISU fans and the support of the athletics dept… I am very blessed!" says Chris Bono.
