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Coe football is family for Tyler Staker, a coach who ‘absolutely bleeds crimson and gold’
His devotion to Coe, its football program and his players can be contagious and the Kohawks witness it daily
Oct. 25, 2024 4:21 pm
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CEDAR RAPIDS — Tyler Staker emerged from a postgame huddle and approached the edge of Coe College’s football field.
The Kohawks had just defeated the University of Dubuque. Over his shoulder was a graphic displayed on the videoboard dedicated to his late dad and former Kohawks Coach Steve Staker, highlighting the fact that they were tied with 55 career wins.
At the same time, Staker was met with a hug from one of his daughters, who said, “Good job, dad.”
The moment was a convergence of three generations connected to Coe football. More than half of Staker’s life has revolved around the program he played for and has led since succeeding his dad in 2016.
“When you’re immersed in it, right now, you don’t take a lot of time to sit back and think about all of that,” said Staker, who owns a 58-23 record for a .716 winning percentage in nine years as head coach. “It’s hard to put into words what that means and what Coe means, as well as the impact my dad had on my life and my coaching career. It’s not easy to put it all into words.”
The devotion to Coe, its football program and his players can be contagious and the Kohawks witness it daily.
“Coach Staker absolutely bleeds crimson and gold,” Coe senior linebacker Jay Oostendorp. “Most of his life has been dedicated to Coe College, and his love for this school, its history, and the tight-knit community is very apparent.
“Every week, Coach Staker’s family will be at a practice with the kids running around, playing on the crash pads and other equipment; him sharing the experience with his family is just another testament to his unwavering loyalty and love for Coe College.”
The Kohawks own a 7-0 overall record with a 4-0 American Rivers Conference mark before Saturday’s home game against Wartburg for the conference lead. The players understood what the 27-10 victory over UD meant to Staker, who surpassed his dad’s total the following week with a 43-10 win at Loras.
“It adds a little sweetness, especially over Dubuque. They’ve always played us tight in the past,” Coe running back Trenton Barnes said. “It’s nice to put it to them and get that big number for him. It was sweet.”
Climbing the ladder at Coe
Staker, 41, started at Coe 23 years ago when he stepped on campus as a bright-eyed freshman defensive back from Fredericksburg. He was a member of Coe’s 2002 team that went 10-2 and reached the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs and closed his career with all-conference honors in 2004.
Former coach Erik Raeburn and athletics director John Chandler played important roles in keeping Staker with the program. He remained at Coe for his first job as a college football coach, a graduate assistant.
“Coe has been great to me, as a player, a coach, an assistant coach and Coach Raeburn giving me the opportunity,” Staker said. “He gave me my first crack, gave me the opportunity to coach. I was real grateful for that, starting out as an intern.”
Staker toiled and earned more opportunities. He became a position coach and eventually transitioned to offensive coordinator — a role he still holds as head coach. Staker has climbed the ladder from the bottom rung to the top.
With no easy way to ascend the college coaching ranks, the effort and dedication it demanded still influences his growth as a head coach.
“I've been fortunate to be able to see it all the way through,” Staker said. “Without a doubt that's benefited me. You know the ins and outs.”
Staker recalled learning from Raeburn how to edit film, adding data entry, breaking down plays and even making recruiting calls. He praised Chandler for recognizing his potential and called the former Coe assistant a mentor.
His father had the biggest impact on him, playing for him and then coaching under his direction for eight seasons.
“It's been a huge part of my life, so it's an understatement to say that it means a lot,” Staker said. “When my dad was a head coach … I was pretty much his right-hand man, so I was able to learn a lot of the internal things to be a head coach, so when it was my opportunity to take over, I felt pretty comfortable and confident in that role.”
Following in Steve Staker’s footsteps
Steve Staker was a beloved figure at Fredericksburg and at Coe, earning the affectionate nickname “Papa Stake” from many in the Coe community. He averaged about seven wins a season, leading the Kohawks to the NCAA playoffs in 2009, 2010 and 2012.
Steve was a servant leader. He could be found working on the softball diamond at Clark Field or at Daniels Park for Coe baseball. Steve also drove vans for the baseball team during spring break trips to Florida.
Steve related well to just about everyone, especially his players. The affection was reciprocated to “Papa Stake” when he was in failing health and they organized a caravan at his home for people to show their support.
Tyler held back visual emotion, recounting how car after car passed. He taught his son to be surrounded by good people, treat people right and win with good people
“He just always showed up, and he was always there,” Staker said. “So, his impact at Coe and Coe athletics within the community and it was huge.”
Staker and his dad shared a love of Coe and its teams, but their bonds started much earlier. The older Staker was much more than a football coach. He was involved in coaching youth sports and coached high school football, basketball, track and field and baseball at Fredericksburg, plus assisted in basketball.
“Growing up, you were always attached to his hip,” said Tyler Staker, the youngest of five siblings. “So, if he was going somewhere, I was going somewhere. It was just a really cool way to grow up, a really cool way to be connected with your dad through sport.”
They reconnected when Steve became Raeburn’s defensive coordinator after Tyler’s sophomore year. The time together has more meaning since Steve’s death in 2020 at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer.
“I was able to play for him as defense coordinator then coach with him when he was a head coach,” Staker said. “It's just really special. I appreciate it a lot more now looking back at it, since he's passed. But, you know, those are times that I'll cherish forever.”
As for surpassing his dad, well, that didn’t mean as much as receiving the game ball from Coe defensive coordinator Cody Baethke after the Dubuque game.
“I'll always cherish that game ball, and 55 wins, more,” Staker said. “He's the legend. I'll never be as good as he was as a coach. But I think back to how he did it, just his impact on people and how he developed the program through relationships and caring for his players that's something that I want to, and I hope to do. Hopefully, the impact that I've had on the young men in our program is similar to the impact that my dad had on the hundreds of thousands of players that he's coached.”
A day in the life of Tyler Staker, Coe football coach
Staker rolls into the office between 7 to 7:30 a.m. each morning. He doesn’t have a long commute and sometimes he drops off a daughter at morning music practice.
Staker isn’t a coffee guy, per se, but it can help him get through the day.
“One cup a day,” Staker said. “Just one cup a day in the morning.”
He spends time setting and distributing two-deep rosters for the upcoming game, contacting the opposing coaches to iron out game-day planning and other administrative tasks.
“Well, I’ve got a staff so it's not just me,” Staker said. “Just making sure that it's all done. But there's other things, too, with regards to like the budget and keeping track of your accounts. Things like that. I mean, just stuff that surfaces. So, do that for a little bit, and then we’ll start to dive into film.”
Multiple film sessions are held throughout the day. Coaches will watch game and practice video. They will break it down and go through it again with position players and units.
“Sometimes we'll have staff meetings throughout the course of the week where we'll talk about what we want to do in certain situations for staff,” Staker said. “Then, we get ourselves ready for practice and make sure the script and the schedules are put together.”
It’s full day of work before even getting on the field. After practice, coaches upload and tag more film. They watch practice tape and make the necessary adjustments for the next day.
“He leads by example and won't ask you to do anything he isn't willing to do,” Baethke said. “When the head coach is willing to do any task that is needed, it makes it hard as a player or coach to not be willing to do that as well.
“As an example, I have seen Tyler vacuum the locker room when it was needed. He is also with us when we are handing out equipment or other jobs like that because he wants to help us and make it go faster.”
On Tuesdays, he may not return home until late. Otherwise he gets home in time to play and hang out with his children – Avery, Cade, Ellie and Olivia. He also gets something to eat and maybe scours more football video.
“It's probably close to 80 hours a week,” Staker said. “You can do the math but a lot of hours put in, a lot of time put in in the program and giving that back to our players. I want to provide an opportunity for our guys where they come here and they enjoy their experience. We give them everything that we can as a coaching staff for them to be their best on a Saturday.
“So, that's why you do it. You do it for the love of the love of your players.”
The real MVPs
Tyler is quick to credit a couple special important people in his life — his wife of 14 years, Kristy, and mother, Linda. They have been pillars of their families and part of the unheralded band of coaches wives.
Adding to the family’s Coe dynamic, Tyler and Kristy met while attending the school. Kristy was a nanny for Tyler’s sister’s kids, who played matchmaker. The rest was history.
“We dated for a little bit and we clicked,” Staker said. “We hit it off and we dated for almost six years or so before we got married.”
Kristy was a standout volleyball player, rewriting Coe’s record book. Her love of sports and being the daughter of a varsity and club volleyball coach made her a perfect fit.
“She’s the most committed and disciplined person that I know, so, yeah that helps,” Staker said. “She's like minded in that way.”
Tyler mentioned her tenacity when they played 2-on-2 volleyball together at Volleys and tennis matches. He said she could make running an intense activity.
“We would go on runs and she would always be like, ‘We ‘vegot to sprint the last three blocks’ or whatever,” Staker said, “and she would go hard. She's super competitive.”
She is a big reason why Staker is able to dedicate so much time. She runs the home front, especially in the fall. Kristy makes sure everyone is on schedule and gets their children, ranging in age from 11 to 1 1/2, to most of their activities. Staker admitted he couldn’t do it without her.
“Kristy is phenomenal,” Staker said. “Every coach needs a coach and there's no doubt that she's my coach. Good days, bad days and if I just need to talk through things. She's always a listening ear for me. She’s the MVP.”
Not only did Linda support Steve’s coaching career, but she continues to be a fan of Tyler and Coe football.
“She’s been there every step of the way with my dad,” Staker said. “She comes to all the home games. I think of all the support my mom has given and that’s a lot of years. … I wouldn’t have this opportunity without her love and support, too.”
Coe’s success under Tyler Staker
Staker is third on Coe’s all-time wins list and in winning percentage. Moray Eby tallied 131 wins from 1914-42. D.J. Leroy won 79 games from 1989-99. Only Wally Schwank (.781 from 1956-59) and Leroy (.738) have better winning percentages.
“Coach Staker is successful for many reasons, but one that sticks out is consistency,” Oostendorp said. “He expects consistency in preparation, drills, technique, and above all, effort. Coach Staker describes the importance of ‘stacking days’ and getting better every single day regardless of outside factors. He’s able to truly inspire athletes to reach the peak of their potential not for themselves, but for the team.”
The Kohawks reached the playoffs and won an Iowa Conference (now American Rivers Conference) title in 2016. They returned to the playoffs last season. Coe has won at least seven games in each of the last four seasons and has only one official losing season under Staker.
“Tyler is a phenomenal coach,” Baethke said. “His record as an assistant coach and head coach are impressive. He coaches with passion and cares deeply about those that he is in charge of. He wants all of them to be successful on and off the field.
“Coe football has a great tradition and he is a big part of that, even though he doesn't like the credit. He would much rather talk about the players or assistant coaches or anybody else that has helped him be successful than himself.”
Staker said he has grown in multiple areas in his coaching career. He has emphasized to his players and coaches to identify their purpose and what motivates them. For Staker, his why is anchored in his family at home, the adopted family of players and coaches and the Coe community.
“For myself and for a lot of these guys, they do it because of the people that have impacted them and helped them get to where they want to be,” Staker said. “So, it's fun and it feels good when you're able to see them and celebrate after games with your family.”
Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com
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