East Central Iowa News

Des Moines Area Community College recently issued the following announcement.

Krafcisin has led the DMACC women’s basketball program for 17 seasons

• Krafcisin is 334-162 at DMACC heading into the 2021-22 season
• Krafcisin’s teams have won 20 or more games in 10 of his 17 seasons as head coach
• Thirteen of Krafcisin’s teams have won 19 or more games in a season

DMACC women’s basketball coach Steve Krafcisin has announced his retirement at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.

Coach Krafcisin’s DMACC career began with the 2005-06 season and he led the Bears to a 19-14 record. His career record heading into the 2021-22 season stands at 334-162, including a 164-57 record in home games through the end of 2021. Thirteen of his 17 teams have won 19 or more games in a season, including a 27-5 mark in 2016-17.

“I have been blessed to have a career that I love and to do the majority of my life in Iowa,” Krafcisin said. “Mason City and Boone have been special places where Joanne and I have raised our three beautiful children into adulthood.” 

Krafcisin and his wife, Joanne, will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary in June.

Nine of Krafcisin’s teams finished third or higher in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC), including five second-place finishes and 11 of his teams reached the semifinals of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XI Women’s Basketball Tournament. Four of those teams made it to the championship game of the Region XI tournament.

Coach Krafcisin has coached five All-Americans during his tenure at DMACC. They include Jocelyn (Anderson) Kovarik, currently a DMACC assistant women’s basketball coach, in 2005-06 and 2006-07; Katelyn Wood in 2010-11; Carlee Schuhmacher in 2012-13 and 2013-14; London Vais in 2015-16; and Grace Flanagan in 2020-21.

Coach Krafcisin’s first DMACC win was a 96-42 decision against Air Force Prep on Nov. 4, 2005, at Sterling, Colo. His 50th victory came on Nov. 30, 2007 when the Bears defeated the St. Ambrose University Junior Varsity (SAUJV), 73-65 and he got his 100th win in a 64-38 win over Southeastern Community College (SECC), on Dec. 6, 2009.

Coach Krafcisin earned his 150th win on Jan. 25, 2012, when the Bears defeated Marshalltown Community College (MCC), 70-60, and his 200th win was a 66-41 decision against Iowa Lakes Community College (ILCC) on Feb. 24, 2014. Win No. 250 came on Nov. 18, 2016, when the Bears beat Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC), 68-64, and Krafcisin got victory No. 300 on Jan. 12, 2019 with a 76-62 win over ILCC.

Coach Krafcisin’s teams have consistently ranked among the best in the nation in academics and since 2013 eight of his teams have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher. His 2016-17 team led NJCAA Division II with a cumulative GPA of 3.54.

During his time at DMACC, Coach Krafcisin has seen 71 players earn all-region honors and 48 players have moved on to four-year women’s basketball programs. One hundred and eight of his players have earned academic all-region honors with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

“Coach K has done an outstanding job with our women’s basketball program during his 17 years as the head coach of the Bears,” DMACC Athletics Director B.J. McGinn said. “His teams have consistently competed in the top half of the ICCAC for the Region 11 championship and held a national ranking as high as No. 1 during this time. Steve’s teams also performed at a high level in the classroom, consistently earning academic all-region and All-American honors, with the majority of his players earning their associates degrees and receiving scholarships to 4-year schools. Steve has had an enormous impact on DMACC and the women’s basketball program, but even more importantly on the lives and futures of many student-athletes.”

Coach Krafcisin came to DMACC after serving as the men’s basketball coach at North Iowa Area Community College (NICAA) from 1997-2005. He served as an assistant coach at the University of North Dakota from 1994 to 1996 and twice served as an assistant coach for the Iowa State University (ISU) men’s basketball program, 1987-1994 and 1996-97. Krafcisin began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Loras College from 1984 to 1987.

“In 2005, I never thought I would coach women’s college hoops but it was my destination to coach, mentor and bring young female student-athletes to Boone and I have loved every moment,” Krafcisin said. “Winning is a plus but the journey is what kept me waking up every morning and seeing how we can get better today. The relationships I have made are what makes DMACC and the Boone campus special.”

“As Sister Sledge sang ‘We are Family,’ the Lord has blessed me and I’ve tried every day to pass it forward.”

McGinn said he has already begun the process of finding Krafcisin’s replacement, adding that DMACC assistant coach Jocelyn Kovarik is one of the leading candidates.

For more information, contact: B.J. McGinn, bjmcginn@dmacc.edu

Original source can be found here.