Bruce Dall, coach of 5 girls’ basketball state title teams, takes over at Cedar Rapids Prairie

CEDAR RAPIDS — Sometimes, destiny comes at you while watching an old Western on television.

“When I was obsessing on whether to pursue this, I was DVR’ing an old edition of Gunsmoke,” Bruce Dall said. “This edition was called ‘Prairie Happy.’

“I thought, this has to be fate.”

Dall, who has coached teams to five state championships, including the last four Class 2A titles at Dike-New Hartford, was named girls’ basketball coach at Cedar Rapids Prairie on Tuesday.

“Coach Dall's ability to develop winning teams and cultivate a culture of excellence makes him the ideal leader for our girls' basketball program,” said assistant athletics director Andrew Davis, who led the search.

“He is dedicated to fostering a competitive and nurturing environment (in which) student-athletes at all levels can excel both on and off the court.”

Dall, 54, has assembled a glossy 29-year career record of 542-144, including 265-53 in 14 seasons at Dike-New Hartford.

In addition to the recent DNH dynasty, Dall piloted Ackley AGWSR to the 1A crown in 2009.

He has coached 12 teams to state — one at Allison-Bristow, four at AGWSR and seven straight at DNH — and was a national-coach-of-the-year finalist in 2024.

“At season’s end, I always do some reflecting,” Dall said. “I ask, ‘Is this the end of a chapter?’ And this was, for me at Dike.

“I caught wind of the Prairie job, and it pulled me and kept pulling me. I had a three-hour interview Friday, and the thing that impressed me was they stuck with the three hours. They didn’t cut corners.”

Dall succeeds Kenyon Murray, who coached the Hawks for the past two years. He inherits a young, talented squad that might be primed for a breakthrough.

The Hawks were 16-5 last season and advanced to the 5A regional finals. Their top four scorers from 2023-24 — Emily Larsen, Brynlie Hadenfeldt, KeaOnna Worley and Asia Beale — will return.

Prairie sits at No. 8 in The Gazette’s preliminary 5A rankings for 2024-25.

“I see a lot of talent,” Dall said. “I want them to be able to play free and loose, and also be structured at times.”

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Defense will be a priority.

“I told the kids, ‘Who do you want to be your best friend, offense or defense?’” Dall said. “It’s defense, because it will always be there for you.”

A native of Dike and a graduate of Upper Iowa University, Dall will be a paraeducator within the College Community School District.

He and his wife, Billie, have an 8-year son, Kinnick.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com