Clear Creek Amana hires Matt Haddy as new head football coach

CEDAR RAPIDS — Back a couple of decades ago, 21 years, to be exact, Matt Haddy cemented a love of coaching.

He was a kid just entering college who was put in charge of the Clear Creek Amana freshman boys’ basketball team. That’s all it took.

So you can call this coming full circle.

Haddy has been hired to become the new head varsity football coach at CCA. He replaces Gabe Bakker, who will be the new head coach at Waukee.

Haddy has been head varsity girls’ basketball coach the past four years at Mount Vernon, though he will relinquish those duties. He also has been head boys’ basketball coach at Lisbon, where he led the Lions to the 2012 state tournament.

He has assistant football coaching experience at Lisbon. The Lions won the 2011 Class A state championship with him as defensive coordinator at Lisbon.

Most recently, Haddy has been DC at Mount Vernon.

“I go back to when I was growing up, and I thought coaching was what I was going to do,” said the Marion grad. “I always thought football was going to be the route I was going to go. It just so happened that basketball was the first opportunity that I got. I loved it and coached basketball for 21 years now.

“But I got into football at Lisbon. I found the last six years at Mount Vernon that the passion for football really grew. It’s a new challenge.”

Haddy teaches at Springville, though he hopes eventually to get a teaching position at CCA. The Clippers went 4-4 last season and are in a very tough Class 4A district that includes Cedar Rapids Xavier, Cedar Rapids Washington and Pella.

“Obviously, my background is on the defensive side,” Haddy said. “So it’s really vital to me that we’re solid and sound defensively.”

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com