Oakland embraces big challenge with KCC women
By Jim Ecker
CEDAR RAPIDS – Nate Oakland has been a head coach at the collegiate level before, but he’s never had to succeed a legend who won 1,108 games and nine national titles during his Hall of Fame career that spanned 37 years with the Kirkwood women’s basketball program.
There’s an old saying in sports: Never succeed a legend. But that’s what Oakland elected to do when the succeeded Kim Muhl with the Eagles.
“I have big shoes to fill. Actually, the biggest,” Oakland remarked Monday, sitting in Muhl’s old office at Johnson Hall. “The biggest challenge is not to try and beat him, but to keep the ball rolling a little bit.”
Make no mistake: Oakland has the same goal that Muhl embraced every year: Succeed at the highest level and win a national title.
Oakland has been the head coach of women’s teams at Coe and Upper Iowa during his career, and he was the top assistant at the University of Northern Iowa the last four years becoming returning to Cedar Rapids. He had the itch to become a head coach again and considers Kirkwood one of the top jobs in the state.
Remarkably, 11 of the 12 players who helped Kirkwood finish 30-5 last year and place second at the NJCAA Division II national tournament elected to stay and play for Oakland. The one player who left had already decided to leave well before the coaching change.
Oakland met with all the returning players shortly after he got the job, to explain his coaching style and philosophy.
“The biggest thing I told them, I’m not Coach Muhl, but I know how he operated and how he recruited,” he relayed. “I told them, if you want to go, I don’t blame you.”
They all said yes to another year. So did all three of the incoming freshmen who had committed to Muhl at that point.
Oakland has admired Muhl for a long time and is honored to be his successor.
“Coach Muhl was the first person I talked to on the phone after I got the job,” he said. “It’s always going to be his gym, it’s always going to be his program.
“I’m not him and I’m not going to try and be him. But I don’t want to let him down.”
Oakland should have a strong team with all the returning talent. The Eagles play an exhibition game at Wartburg Tuesday night, then host Wilbur Wright College next Monday in the season opener, part of a doubleheader with the Kirkwood men’s team that night.
Claire Hudson, Bra’ja Torry, Whitney Sullivan, Janessa Mosley, Molly Roling, Madison Stowater, Reagan Celeste, Olivia Bailey, Erianna Moeschter, Dasia Foster and Kaci Crum all return from last season. None of them averaged more than 9.1 points, but many of them gained tons of experience and have the potential for bigger contributions.
Taccarrii Hicks, a 5-foot-7 freshman from Racine, Wis., has made a strong impression during preseason practices.
“She’s different,” said Oakland. “Skilled, not flashy. She has high-level vision as a passer. She had 52 points in a game, so she’s also a scorer.”
There’s lots of talent and lots of potential. Oakland knows there are high expectations, but that’s one of the reasons he wanted the job.
His goal is simple: “Don’t screw it up,” he joked.
ROSTER
Freshmen (4)
Alaya Carter, 5-9, Prior Lake, Minn.
Adalynn Voss, 5-6, Moline, Ill.
Da’Jha Johnson, 5-8, Country Club Hills, Ill.
Taccarrii Hicks, 5-7, Racine, Wis.
Sophomores (11)
Claire Hudson, 5-10, Mexico, Mo.
Bra’ja Torry, 5-7, Apple Valley, Minn.
Whitney Sullivan, 6-3, Orangeville, Ill.
Janessa Mosley, 5-7, North Liberty
Molly Roling, 5-8, Cascade
Madison Stowater, 5-9, Holstein
Reagan Celeste, 5-9, O’Fallon, Mo.
Olivia Bailey, 6-0, Des Moines
Erianna Moeschter, 5-11, Minneapolis
Dasia Foster, 6-3, Oskaloosa
Kaci Crum, 6-3, Nora Springs
