Cook serves as cornerstone for Coe baseball

CEDAR RAPIDS - A possible steppingstone became a giant boulder.

Now, Steve Cook can be considered the cornerstone of the Coe baseball program.

In his 19th season, Cook has surpassed 400 career wins, guiding the Kohawks to second place in the Iowa Conference standings and clinching a spot in the conference tournament. Coe will take on non-conference rival Cornell at Memorial Stadium today, beginning at 5 p.m.

'Not being from here early on, I really looked at it as a first job,” Cook said. 'I didn't know what my future held but Coe has really become my family. It has been a great place for me and my profession, and the kids are great to work with.”

Cook reached the milestone win mark when Coe swept Central April 17 at Daniels Park. He said he joked with players after the game that players win games and coaches lose them. He spent time to reflect on the win in his office.

'For me, it was 400 wins for all the guys that had played under me as the head coach here,” said Cook, who has 404 total victories. 'To be real honest with you, that was the first thing that came to mind.

'The other was my family - my wife and kids and extended family as well. We're all about Coe and Coe baseball. It's really a family investment to do what I do. It's a little bit for them as well.”

Cook took over in his 20s and provided stability for the program. He was enthusiastic, looking to turn the Kohawks into a solid Division-III program.

'With my age and enthusiasm, that was my first goal,” said Cook, who started shortly after a three-year minor league that included playing for the Cedar Rapids Kernels Midwest league Championship team in 1994. 'Really, the only thing that drove me early was to get our program to a reputable point that was competing at the top tier, at least, of our conference.”

The vision of the eager skipper has become a reality. The Kohawks won IIAC tournament titles and NCAA regional appearances in 2006, 2011 and 2012. He led them to a program-high 32 wins in 2011, recording 29 the following year.

He can remember those tougher years at the start of his tenure, posting his first winning record in his fifth season (2001).

Cook said he had an 'amazing” group of players that bought into his philosophy early. He focused on increasing the roster and the win total slowly climbed.

'The first few years were lean,” Cook said. 'I remember playing some seasons where I didn't have any relief pitchers. Literally, we went on a spring trip early and we played 12 games with six pitchers. They each had to throw twice and they each had to throw complete games.”

His approach endears him to players, motivating them and getting the most out of each. Junior infielder Craig Konrardy said Cook gets to know recruits as people first and then learns about them as players.

'He figures out what kind of guy you are and connects on that personal level with you first, and then he connects on the baseball level second,” Konrardy said. 'He tries to figure out what type of person you are and then gets into the baseball aspect.”

The intangibles are important to Cook. He encourages his players to play with passion. The goal is to instill that in them and have players transfer it to other aspects in their lives after baseball.

'I want to keep a balance,” Cook said. 'There is a tougher side to me. The coach side with a competitive edgy side, but I never want that to get out of balance with the perspective that these kids are working hard and getting a degree at Coe. There is a bigger picture in what they are doing.”

Konrardy recalled a year when players misbehaved on a trip to Florida. They thought they avoided discipline when they return only to be berated by Cook, who then forced them to run. The point was received and was indicative of the way he pushes players to be at their best on and off the diamond.

'Everyone hated it,” Konrardy said with a laugh. 'People were puking, but it was like we deserved it. He kept pushing us.”

Cook said his father was one of his biggest influences growing up. He held a strict line, offering support without being intrusive to his athletic career.

Cook didn't even consider coaching when he was a raw talent that played at Allegheny (Pa.) College. Under Coach Rick Creehan, he became a 1993 D-III All-American, setting 10 offensive records for the program. He still ranks among program leaders in career hits, runs doubles and stolen bases and season batting average and hits.

'It's why I got into coaching,” Cook said. 'I didn't go to college, expecting to be a college coach. It was really my own experiences with my head coach, and those around me in the athletic department that opened my eyes to say hey I wouldn't mind doing that for young players, too.”

The Kohawks respond to his straightforward attitude, seeming to know when to figuratively kick players in the butt and when pat them on the back. Players take the field knowing the coach has their backs.

'You can play the type of baseball you want and know he might jump on you, but he's right there to be the first one to congratulate you,” Konrardy said. 'It happens a lot with me.”

Coe is 24-12 this season, rebounding from a losing season that snapped a streak of six winning campaigns. They will close out their regular season with the Rams, which beat Coe last year, before Grinnell on Wednesday.

The Kohawks' experienced has allowed them to find ways to win close games, testing their mettle.

'We have rebounded well,” Cook said. 'We put ourselves in a position to compete for second place in the conference, which is very important with our conference tournament having a first-round bye.”

l Comments: (319) 368-8679; kj.pilcher@thegazette.com