Kyle Knock named new football coach at Cedar Rapids Prairie

CEDAR RAPIDS - Kyle Knock had some heavy hitters behind him when it came to trying to obtain the head varsity football coaching job at Cedar Rapids Prairie.

His father, Don, is an Iowa Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame member, a guy who won a state championship at Grundy Center, put together some terrific seasons at Cedar Rapids Kennedy and worked with Iowa State University’s program.

Speaking of Iowa State, former coach Dan McCarney put a couple of good words in for Knock with Prairie Activities Director Rocky Bennett before the interview process began last week. Kyle played tight end for McCarney at ISU.

“Coach Mac, I tell you what, that guy, he’s retired, but he spends most days on the phone,” Kyle Knock said. “He has been in touch with me since I left Iowa State. He’s the first one to call me on my birthday every year. Wakes me up and says ‘Get your butt moving.’ You get off the phone and you feel like you can put a helmet on and go do it all over and play again.

“He’s been in my corner. He made a phone call for me.”

Prairie announced Tuesday the 43-year-old Knock will lead the Hawks program, replacing Mark Bliss, who recently stepped down as head coach recently in order to help care for an adult daughter dealing with cancer.

Knock has been an assistant coach for 19 years: 17 at alma mater Kennedy, one at Cedar Rapids Washington and one at a school in Missouri, where he coached with his dad. He said he picked up something from all the head coaches he worked under, from his father to Brian White and Tim Lewis at Kennedy and Paul James at Washington.

“This is something I always wanted,” Knock said. “Growing up and watching dad do it, it was something that was always in the back of my mind. I wanted to be like him. I remember kids coming to our house when I was young, the relationships he had with high school football players. I thought ‘You know what, that’s what I want to do some day.’ I’ve done that as an assistant, and that’s been great.”

Knock has experience as both an offensive and defensive coordinator but plans on working with the offense at Prairie. He said he will go away from the unique single-wing rush-heavy attack Bliss favored.

He said he and Bliss, who will remain a teacher at Prairie, already have talked about the Prairie program and the players in it and will do so more moving forward. Knock officially introduced himself to his new team Tuesday afternoon.

He is not a teacher, working as Vice President of Operations for The Midwest Athletic Club.

“I think this is one of those programs that is a diamond in the rough,” he said. “Prairie has a chance to emulate what they do over in the central part of the state.”

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