(Oakland) A basketball junkie out of Central Lyon High School is the head coach for the Riverside boys hoops program. Dana College alum Nicholas Kroon (rhymes with phone) is our guest on “Why I Coach.”
Kroon says his dad introduced him to the game and he was immediately hooked. “I grew up loving basketball. My dad was a big Larry Bird fan. I grew up on a farm and killed a lot of time shooting baskets in the driveway. I fell in love with it and ended up playing basketball at Dana College. I always kind of wanted to teach and coach.”
Kron didn’t hesitate when asked about the favorite part of his job. “It is definitely seeing the kids grow. I really like seeing what they do past high school. A couple of weeks ago I went to a wedding of one of the first kids that I coached. It’s really neat to see the kids you coached and had an impact on go on to be husbands and fathers. I enjoy the strategy and stuff like that and helping kids pursue their passion of basketball, but also just helping them get to where they want to go in life.”
Kron began his career as an assistant at West Point Beemer in Nebraska and became the head coach there after just three years. He spent nine years in charge of the Cadets before getting into administration. After four years away, he got back into it at Riverside. Being both a principal and head coach makes for a unique dynamic. “Kids see me a little bit different as a coach. I deal with discipline a lot. Kids get to see me in a different role and more as a person a little bit. The con is time management and having to find time to watch film and plan practice. I have four kids so I have to do a lot after they go to bed and before they get up in the morning.”
One of his proudest accomplishments as a coach came last season when he led the Bulldogs to a winning record for the first time since 2013. They had won just 17 games in five seasons prior to his arrival. “Of those 11 losses I think we had seven or eight to 20-win ball clubs. You have to play Treynor and Tri-Center and AHSTW all twice in the conference and those are good teams. Getting that winning record was huge. I think that was one of my most proud moments as a coach.” Kroon says, “I think that was one that I think any time you win more than you lose that’s a really good thing. A lot of coaches shoot for that and it felt really good.”
One of his big goals on the horizon is to get to a substate game after making the district finals last year.
Previous Coaches
(Click to listen)
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)
Jason Mehrhoff, Anita Native (Carlisle)
Eric Hjelle, Elk Horn-Kimballton grad (Underwood)
Brett Watson, Elk Horn-Kimballton alum (Waukee Northwest)
Warren Watson, Elk Horn-Kimballton
Chris Stimson, Elk Horn-Kimballton
Scott Yates, Elk Horn-Kimballton
Jan Jensen, Elk Horn-Kimballton alum
Seth Poldberg, EH-K grad and Guthrie Center coach
Marc Bierbaum, Griswold grad and Iowa Western track/cross country assistant
Trevor Gipple, (Griswold grad) SW Valley
Curt Schulte, Harlan graduate (Glenwood)
Angie Spangenberg, Harlan and Red Oak
Eric Stein (Harlan grad) Iowa Central
Darrell Burmeister, Nodaway Valley
Lanny Kliefoth, Nodaway Valley
Chad Harder, (Walnut Grad) Tri-Center
