“The best there ever is the best there ever was and the best there ever will be. “It is a quote befitting for the greatest collegiate wrestler of all-time, Cael Sanderson.
Moreover, the 40-year-old dominated wrestling from 1999 to 2002, but he also won the Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
As a result, Sanderson is a national icon in his home country. However, his exploits are not just limited to competing as a wrestler. Instead, the Utah native is as good a coach, if not more than a player.
Let’s get started on this article, where we will inform you about Cael’s life from his early years to his current coaching role. You will also find details about his career, age, height, salary, net worth, family, and social media.
Table of Contents
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Cael Sanderson |
| Birth Date | June 20, 1979 |
| Birth Place | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Nationality | American |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | Wasatch High SchoolIowa State University |
| Horoscope | Gemini |
| Father’s Name | Steve Sanderson |
| Mother’s Name | Cael Norman |
| Siblings | Brothers- Cody Sanderson and Cole Sanderson |
| Age | 42 years old |
| Height | 5 feet 11 inches (1.82 m) |
| Weight | 184 lb (83 kg) |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Marital status | Married |
| Wife | Kelly Sanderson |
| Kids | 2 Sons |
| Profession | Wrestling Coach ( Current), Wrestler (Former) |
| NCAA Record | 159-0 |
| Olympic | Gold (2004 Summer Olympics) |
| Olympic Team | United States of America |
| State championships | 4 (Utah) |
| NCAA Championships | 12 ( Four Competing, Eight Coaching) |
| Active Years | 1999-Present |
| Current Affiliation | Penn State |
| Net-Worth | $2 million |
| Social Media | Twitter, Youtube, Instagram |
| Merch | Not Available |
| Last Update | May, 2022 |
Cael Sanderson: Early Life, Family & Brothers
It was June 20, 1979, when Steve Sanderson and his wife begat their son Cael Norman Sanderson in Salt Lake City, Utah. Furthermore, Steve was a former wrestling coach. And, it is with his old man that Cael learned all of his craft from.
Besides, Sanderson grew up with his two brothers, Cody Sanderson and Cole Sanderson, both of whom are wrestlers.
Hence, it is fair to say that wrestling runs in the genes of the Sanderson family. However, the 40-year-old has one more brother who remains a mystery at this point.
Talking about his lower education, Cael went to Wasatch High, where he became a high school wrestling star. Moreover, at this time, the 40-year-old started to gain a reputation for being the best wrestler in his age group.
Cael Sanderson: Career (College & International)
After graduating from high school, Sanderson attended Iowa State University, where he dominated collegiate wrestling for the next four years. In fact, Cael was so good that he never lost a match in the NCAA tournament.
During his time at Iowa, the 40-year-old competed in 159 matches, winning all of them. Other than that, Sanderson became the first freshman in the NCAA tournament’s history to win the NCAA Wrestling Team Championship’s Outstanding Wrestler.
Added to that, Cael was also the first freshman in history to win the Dan Hodge Trophy given to the best college wrestler in the U.S.
Moreover, by the time the Utah native his four years at Iowa State, he won the NCAA Outstanding Wrestler four times, Big 12 Conference Championship four times, Dan Hodge Trophy three NCAA title four times.
Thus, by the time Sanderson finished his college career, he was the undisputed best collegiate wrestler of all time. In fact, no one before him and no one after has achieved what Cael did in his time at Iowa State University.
Cael Sanderson vs Daniel Cormier
Sanderson squared off against former two-weight UFC Champion Daniel Cormier during the 2001 NCAA tournament finals. Although Daniel showcased his strength by putting Cael on his back twice, Sanderson came back and won the match.
In doing so, he won his third straight NCAA title. However, both men have gone on their own paths since and have become greats in their work line.
International
Taking a look at his international CV reveals that Cael has won what every young wrestler dreams of winning, Olympic gold medal.
Likewise, the 40-year-old won his gold at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Other than that, Sanderson has also won silver at the 2003 World Championships and a bronze at the 2003 Pan American Games.
Coaching Career
Cael began his coaching career with his alma mater, Iowa State University, two years after graduating. During the 40-year-old’s three years at Iowa, the best he could manage was a second-place finish in 2007.
Thereafter, he signed with Pennsylvania State University, where he would go on to make further history.
Just like his college days, Sanderson went on a winning spree that has seen him eight NCAA Division I team titles in his ten years as of now.
Moreover, the Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling team is the four-time defending champions of the NCAA tournament.
As a matter of fact, reminiscent of his college days, Cael has guided his team to an undefeated four-year streak from 2016-2019.
Cael Sanderson: Career Highlights and Awards
Some of the career highlights and awards of Cael is listed below:
- Summer Olympic
- John Smith Award as the Freestyle Wrestler of the Year
- World Wrestling Championships Pan American Game
- John Smith Award as the Freestyle Wrestler of the Year
- Best Male College Athlete ESPY Award
- Dan Hodge Trophy winner
- NCAA Division I Championships Outstanding Wrestle
- Dan Hodge Trophy winner
- NCAA Division I Championships Outstanding Wrestler
- Dan Hodge Trophy winner
- NCAA Division I Championships Outstanding Wrestler
- Big 12 Conference
Other honors
- Iowa Sports Hall of Fame inductee
- Wheaties cereal box appearance
Cael Sanderson: Coaching Record
| Coaching Record | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team Finish | Dual Record | All Americans | National Champions | |
| Iowa State University | |||||
| 2007 | 2nd | 13-3-0 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 5th | 16-4-0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 3rd | 15-3-0 | 4 | 1 | |
| Pennsylvania State University | |||||
| 2010 | 9th | 13-6-1 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 1st | 17-1-1 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 1st | 13-1-0 | 6 | 3 | |
| 2013 | 1st | 13-1-0 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2014 | 1st | 15-1-0 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 6th | 11-4-0 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 1st | 16-0-0 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 1st | 14-0-0 | 6 | 5 | |
| 2018 | 1st | 14-0-0 | 8 | 4 | |
| 2019 | 1st | 14-0-0 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2020 | DNC | 12-2-0 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 2nd | 6-0-0 | 6 | 4 | |
| Career | 202-24-2 | 84 | 29 | ||
Cael Sanderson: Age, Height & Nationality
At the time of writing, Cael is 40 years old because he was born in 1979. Likewise, the Olympic gold medalist celebrates his birthday on the 20th day of June. As a result, his star sign is Gemini.
Moreover, people who fall under Gemini’s sign are known for their smartness, sharpness, and adaptability. And, if you ask us, those are the exact traits that Sanderson exemplifies.
Moving on, Cael stands at 5 feet 11 inches (1.82 m) and weighs 184 lb (83 kg). Furthermore, the Utah native is probably the best collegiate wrestler since he went undefeated throughout his four years in college.
What is Cael’s Record?
Talking about Cael’s record, it is simply incredible, to say the least. To illustrate, the 40-year-old won four consecutive NCAA titles from 1999-2002, going undefeated with a record of 159 wins and zero losses.
