(Greenfield) A San Diego native who came to Iowa to play college football is our guest this week on Why I Coach. Former Nodaway Valley head coach Steve Shantz joins the series.
Shantz grew up playing for his dad and got to experience a lot of different positions which taught him a lot about the game. His dad even took stats for both his high school and junior college teams and remained a big influence throughout. “He was always awesome. A great, positive influence. Always helped me out. It’s too bad he passed away too early. He was one of my biggest fans.” Shantz says, “He was always a big part of me growing up and wanting to be a coach.”
So how does a California kid end up becoming a coach in small town Iowa? He was originally going to play at Florida A&M, but that didn’t pan out. “I was just about to leave when the coach at Florida A&M called me and said they’d lost a couple scholarships so they wouldn’t be able to give me a scholarship. He told me to come on out and play for a year and they’d put me on scholarship the next year. I said I’d think it over. The next day the University of Dubuque coached by Don Turner showed up at my door and asked me how I’d like to play for them and two days later I’m on a plane to Iowa.”
His first job was at Creston where he was on staff for football, boys basketball, and golf. “Dennis Garrity was the basketball coach at Dubuque Hempstead where I did my student teaching. I don’t know how it happened. I don’t even remember sending a resumé to Creston. I don’t know if coach Garrity who had some ties to Creston sent one out or how it happened, but the next thing you know I got a call asking if they could come watch me student teach and I said sure. The next thing you know me and my wife are visiting Creston, Iowa and we liked what we saw and decided to take a chance and come down here.”
After 13 years in Creston he jumped at an opportunity to take over the Nodaway Valley football program. With the Wolverines he enjoyed running his own program. “Everything goes through you. It’s your stamp on the program. I enjoy being the leader. I think I can get things done. You have nobody to blame or give excused too except for yourself. I like that type of role.”
Shantz was asked if he ever would have imagined during his teenage years that he’d end up in Southwest Iowa for over 20 years of coaching and teaching. “There would be no way.” Shantz laughs, “I’m sitting there when I graduate high school and I’m working construction and framing houses. The only reason I even went to college was because my high school coach had gotten the job at San Diego City College. We talked on the phone for 45 minutes and he conned me into coming out for junior college ball. There was no way I thought I’d be even playing college football much less in Iowa.”
Shantz has been a head golf coach for several years as well. He says his competitiveness has helped him get better in a sport he had very little practical experience in.
Previous Coaches
John Kesselring, Adair-Casey alum
Eric Maassen, (AHST grad) Sheldon
Jerome Hoegh, Atlantic grad (West Sioux)
Gaylord Schelling, Atlantic and Tri-Center
Dick Strittmatter, Atlantic native
Chad Klein, Audubon Native (Kuemper Catholic and Boone)
In Memory of Bob Monahan, Audubon (Monte Riebhoff)
In Memory of Bob Monahan, Audubon (Steve Ahrendsen)
In Memory of Bob Monahan, Audubon (Scott Weber)
In Memory of Bob Monahan, Audubon (Curt Mace)
Chris Stimson, Elk Horn-Kimballton
Jan Jensen, Elk Horn-Kimballton alum
Seth Poldberg, EH-K grad and Guthrie Center coach
Trevor Gipple, (Griswold grad) SW Valley
Angie Spangenberg, Harlan and Red Oak
Eric Stein (Harlan grad) Iowa Central
Darrell Burmeister, Nodaway Valley
Lanny Kliefoth, Nodaway Valley
