Q and A with City High FB Coach Dan Sabers

It's been a milestone season for Dan Sabers, and not just because his Iowa City High football team is in the midst of a 27-game win streak and on the verge of its second-consecutive Class 4A state championship. City High (13-0) plays West Des Moines Dowling (13-0) in Friday night's title game at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

This is Sabers' 10th season as head coach of the Little Hawks and his 30th with the program. The Dyersville native was an assistant for Larry Brown at the school when City High won state titles in 1993, 1994 and 1996.

Sabers, 55, has a 94-20 record as head coach and has led City High to nine playoff appearances in his 10 seasons, including eight straight. Source Media Group talked with him this week about his school's incredible success on the football field.

Q: How much different has this season been than last season? You've won it all, now you're trying to win it again.

A: It's a little different in that it's very tough to defend anything. This feels special. I feel real good about not really dodging anybody. I mean, we played Bettendorf, we played Cedar Falls, we played Linn-Mar ... That part of it feels very good. It's kind of like Coach (Kevin) Miller would tell you over at Solon. Once you get there, you want to get back.

Q: If I remember correctly, you said from the beginning of this season, that while you didn't have a superstar player like (Iowa freshman quarterback) A.J. Derby, you would still be a good team because you had a bunch of very good players. Do I have that right? 

A: I think we have more good football players on this team than any team I've ever had at City High. We play a lot of guys. Our offensive linemen don't play defense, for instance. That is such a luxury to have. It has helped allow us to be able to run the ball all season.

Q: Why has City High been able to have such incredible sustained success in football?

A: First of all, we've got a coaching staff that together a long time ... And the work we do at the junior-high level is very important. I've coached junior-high track and field for 30 years, and I'm going to keep coaching it. I love it. That's where you instill in kids at an early age that hard work is a good thing. It's where you teach them 'This is what you've got to do to be successful.'"

Q: You've coached as an assistant for Larry Brown, and now he's coaching as an assistant for you. What has that been like? Has that been awkward at all?

A: Yes and no. When Larry was the head coach, we shared thoughts and discussed how the team was. Now we still do that. He was the athletic director for awhile there, and now he's returned to coaching. We've had a wonderful working relationship. I'm very grateful for the opportunities that he has given me.

Q: How long do you want to continue coaching?

A: It's been very special. I truly am loving it. I love teaching, too. I really believe the good Lord put me on this earth to be a teacher and coach. So I have no designs to stop doing it anytime soon.

Q: Your wife told me you don't own a cell phone. Is that true?

A: Yeah. I've got everybody trying to contact me ... Everybody says 'Well, what if something happens?' OK, well I'll borrow one from somebody then. I've gone a long time without one, I don't see the need to get one now. I'm an old-school guy. Now I've got to survive another Christmas. The kids are always saying 'We're going to get you one.' I just tell them 'I wouldn't do that, if I were you.'"