Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands pressured injured 197-pounder Massoma Endene to risk permanent neck damage, then removed him from the team when he refused.
Massoma Endene, the number-four-ranked wrestler at 197 pounds and a three-time Division III national champion who came to Iowa from Wartburg College, is suddenly no longer on the team.
Coach Tom Brands announced on January 13, 2026, during a media session, saying simply that sometimes things work out and sometimes they don’t, without giving any real details.
In his own words, he said:
Endene is no longer on the roster and my statement to that is sometimes these things work, and sometimes they don’t work, and this one just didn’t work out. we wish him the best and that’s the extent of it
Tom Brands
But according to accounts from a close friend of Endene and details shared on social media, there’s a much more troubling story behind what happened.
Endene suffered a serious neck injury that doctors told him to take seriously. They advised him to stay off the mat completely to avoid permanent damage or even lifelong problems.
He listened to the medical advice and stopped competing, but he still showed up to practices to support the team and stay involved.
That didn’t sit well with the coaching staff, and from what people say, Tom Brands and his brother Terry got frustrated because Endene wasn’t able to wrestle.
During practices, Tom reportedly made comments like telling another wrestler, Harvey, to be ready since his 197-pounder was “quitting.”
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In fact, the pressure didn’t stop there. The coaches, along with someone handling finances for the program, apparently decided they didn’t want to keep paying Endene while he was hurt and sidelined.
Above all, things got worse when the Brands brother pushed him to come back too soon.
They encouraged him to get a cortisone shot in his neck and get right back on the mat, even though doctors had warned about the risks of serious, possibly career-ending harm or worse.
Endene refused to rush back and put his long-term health in danger.
The breaking point came when Tom Brands demanded a face-to-face meeting with him.
At that exact time, Endene’s wife went into labor with their first child. He couldn’t make the meeting because he was there for the birth of his baby.
Shortly after, Endene was removed from the roster.
Meanwhile, a picture of Massoma leaving the hospital while wearing an Iowa Hawkeye backpack is going viral online.
The news has really upset many out there. A person wrote:
This is majorally screwed up. Time for the Iowa administration to step in and investigate this, also the NCAA should also be made aware of this, if this is valid he should be terminated as coach of that storied program
