Jeremy Rickertsen steps down as Prairie boys’ basketball coach

CEDAR RAPIDS — He got to coach a NBA player, with another one likely on the way.

He took his team to the state basketball tournament semifinals.

In short, he did a lot of good things in nine years as head boys’ basketball coach at Cedar Rapids Prairie. But Jeremy Rickertsen says it’s time to make a change and get away from the game for a while.

“Up until recently I’ve always loved the grind, and being a head coach at this level is absolutely a grind,” Rickertsen said Tuesday, after confirming he has stepped down from his position. “But lately I haven’t enjoyed that grind as much. I started coaching right out of college (age 22), so I just completed my 30th year.

“I’m old enough to make that claim, and at the same time young enough to still do other things that I really enjoy, like fishing, golfing, outdoors. I told the players this morning that if I wasn’t 100 percent all in, it wouldn’t be fair to them or the Prairie community for me to continue.”

Prairie went 5-17 this past season, a rebuilding year after 2021-22, when Prairie went 18-7 and advanced to the state tournament for the first time since 1998. The Hawks upended Cedar Falls in the quarterfinals before losing to Johnston in the semis, 61-57.

Rickertsen went 101-92 at Prairie, re-establishing the program. Of course, he coached Keegan Murray of the Sacramento Kings at the school, as well as Kris Murray, who is projected to be a first-round pick in the NBA this summer.

“One of my main goals when I took the job was to bring back a sense of pride to Prairie basketball,” Rickertsen said. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in our time, with a conference championship, a state tournament run last year and having the opportunity to coach probably two NBA players, among countless other quality young men.”

Rickertsen will remain a teacher in the Prairie system.

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