Win streak continues for Kirkwood women’s basketball

CEDAR RAPIDS — Kim Muhl can put one more finger down.

Following a 112-27 win over Marshalltown Community College on Wednesday, the Kirkwood women’s basketball coach could count the number of wins he needs to reach 1,000 on one hand.

Saturday, in front of a packed Johnson Hall filled with approximately 400 fans for Kirkwood’s first annual “Crowd the Court” event, NJCAA Division II’s third-ranked Eagles (18-1) defeated Iowa Lakes Community College, 65-47, giving Muhl career win No. 996.

“I haven’t really thought a whole lot about it (getting to 1,000 wins),” Muhl said. “I’m sure I will this summer when everything kind of settles down. During the season, we’re going, now we’re getting ready for Iowa Western. They’re really good and we’re not ready for them. So that’s next on my agenda.”

Muhl currently ranks second among active NJCAA women’s basketball coaches in wins, trailing only Copiah-Lincoln’s (Miss.) Gwyn Young, who recently reached the 1,000-win milestone on Jan. 12.

While Young holds a narrow lead for total wins, Muhl has done it more efficiently. This season is Muhl’s 34th as a head coach and Young’s 47th. Muhl holds an advantage in career winning percentage (996-165, .854) to Young (1,000-299, .770).

“That’s a lot of wins, I guess,” Muhl said with a chuckle. “It’s a lot of times sitting on the bench, coming to the gym and having your wife put up with it.”

Kirkwood’s leading scorer Tasia Jordan led the way Saturday. Jordan had 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting.

“You just can’t teach what she has,” Muhl said. “We try to go to her strengths and she’s been really coachable.”

The admiration between Muhl and Jordan is mutual.

“I’m more than blessed to be able to play with Coach Muhl because he knows how to develop a player at each level they need to be at,” Jordan said.

“He’s already the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) in my opinion,” Jordan said. “That would be an honor to make a little history for him.”

Muhl is now just 11 wins shy of tying the all-time record for NJCAA wins, trailing David Kragel from Walters State (Tenn.), who holds the all-time record with 1,007.

He will be inducted into Kirkwood’s Hall of Fame on Feb. 3.

“If you would’ve told me 25 years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Muhl said. “Part of the deal is getting older and if you’ve done some things, you get into the hall of fame. I’m glad they’re kind of doing it before you get too old. I think that’s a problem with some halls of fame, sometimes people get health issues and then they can’t enjoy the experience.”

The defending national champions are currently on a 32-game win streak since March of 2020 and are 99-3 in Johnson Hall dating back to the 2016-2017 season.