March 3, 2008
(release courtesy of Ryan Workman, Coe College sports information director)

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . Iowa high school coaching hall of famer Steve Staker will be introduced as head coach of the Coe College football team at an open house scheduled this afternoon.

Athletics Director John Chandler announced Staker's appointment today, four weeks after Erik Raeburn resigned to become head coach at Wabash College.

Staker, the father of five Coe alumni, has been an integral part of the Kohawk football staff for four years, serving as defensive coordinator, linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator. Prior to arriving at Coe, Staker spent 35 years as head football coach at Fredricksburg (Iowa) High School.

"While I'm impressed with the pool of candidates that applied for the job, Steve Staker is the right fit for Coe," said Chandler. "His Iowa high school background and his close ties to Coe were both important considerations. With his knowledge, enthusiasm and connections, Steve is in a great position to continue the successful tradition of Kohawk football."

While at Fredricksburg, Staker also served as head baseball coach for 31 years, head boys' track coach for 19 years and assistant boys' basketball coach for 36 years. He served as the high school and middle school athletics director at Fredricksburg for 31 years. His football team won a state championship in 2001, while his track and field team won the state title in 1992. During a 15-year span, his football team won six district titles. He was named to the Iowa Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1994 and was the Class A Coach of the Year in 2001. In 2003, he was the head coach for the Iowa Shrine Bowl.

Staker earned his bachelor's in physical education in 1968 from Upper Iowa University, where he starred at fullback for the Peacocks. He was inducted into the Upper Iowa Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.

"I'm just excited about the opportunity and looking forward to continuing the winning tradition at Coe," Staker said.

Coe went 7-3 in 2007 for the second year in a row for its second-straight third place finish in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Kohawks have posted four straight winning seasons and won a share of the conference title in three of the last six years.

"Steve has done a tremendous job with the defense since he came to Coe," said Chandler. "We look forward to the leadership and guidance he will provide our student-athletes as head coach."

Staker's son, Tyler, has served as a graduate assistant for the Kohawks the past two seasons and is expected to remain, along with most of the coaching staff. Tyler is the last of five Staker children to attend the college. Steve's daughter, Shannon Cook, and daughter-in-law, Julie Staker, also work for the Coe Admission Office.

Staker, 64, said age was not a factor in his pursuit of the Coe job. "This is a whole different ball game now," he said. "I could stay here another 10 years."

Staker will be available for interviews at an open house scheduled for 3-4 p.m. Monday at Clark Alumni House on the campus of Coe College.

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