Steve Krafcisin Takes Final Bow at DMACC

Former Hawkeye Ends Successful Run as Women's Basketball Coach

Steve Krafcisin

BOONE, Iowa - They came out to officially say goodbye to one of their favorites Tuesday evening. And it was easy to pick out the center of attention as he worked the crowd, sharing handshakes, hugs and stories. At 6 feet 10 inches tall, Steve Krafcisin towered over the crowd.

The women’s basketball coach at Des Moines Area Community College the past 17 seasons and the program’s winningest coach, Krafcisin called it a career with a record of 349-179 at the school. That included 10 20-win seasons and a lifetime of memories.

Also the head men’s coach at NIACC in Mason City and an assistant coach at North Dakota, Iowa State (twice) and Loras, Krafcisin could tell something was missing this season.

Putting together practice plans became more work than a labor of love for a man who turns 64 later this month. So he punched out, on his own terms. A lot of coaches aren’t so lucky.

Many basketball fans in the state of Iowa remember him as “Special K,” a center at Iowa for Coach Lute Olson from 1979 to 1981. Steve also became part of a college basketball trivia question: who were the only two players to play in two Final Fours for different teams?

There was Bob Bender, who did it at Duke and Indiana. And Krafcisin, who did it at North Carolina and Iowa.

Highly recruited out of St. Laurence High School in Chicago, Krafcisin played a season for the Tar Heels under Dean Smith, and his final three at Iowa under Olson. That included Iowa’s last share of a Big Ten regular-season title, in 1978-79, and last Final Four appearance in 1980.

Steve has an infectious, arms-open personality that draws people to him. His former players keep in contact. One of them, Jocelyn Kovarik, has been named Krafcisin’s successor at DMACC. Krafcisin was sitting out the 1977-78 season at Iowa as a transfer when we first met. In fact, he was the subject of the first Iowa basketball-related story I wrote for the Des Moines Register.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve interviewed him since, but we developed a friendship that I’ve enjoyed over the years.

Steve was always a favorite of sportswriters, because he could spin a story.

He was an assistant coach for Johnny Orr at Iowa State when the Cyclones tried to recruit Chris Street out of Indianola. Krafcisin knew that Street was going to be a Hawkeye, but he did what he could.

Orr or one of Iowa State’s assistant coaches would occasionally ask Krafcisin how it was going with Street.

“I’d say, “Oh, great,’ ” Krafcisin would tell them. “You knew Iowa is where he was going to go. But selfishly, I just wanted to talk to him. And it was cool to be part of a young man’s life, even for a short period of time. To get to know him and find out that, “Wow, not only is he a good player but he’s a good kid.’ And that was kind of neat to see.’ ”

Krafcisin had a deep and abiding respect for Olson. Some of Lute’s coaching principles were ingrained in Krafcisin’s philosophy.

And if you were writing a story on Iowa’s Final Four run in 1980 or what it was like to play for Olson, Krafcisin was more than happy to share his memories.

On Tuesday, I asked him to flash back to the night of Feb. 18, 1981. Iowa Fieldhouse, Iowa City.

No. 16 Indiana versus No. 12 Iowa, with Coach Bob Knight calling the shots from the sideline and Isiah Thomas calling the shots as the Hoosiers’ point guard.

Iowa walloped Indiana, 78-65, to record a season sweep for the first time since the 1969-70 Hawkeyes had gone undefeated in Big Ten play.

Krafcisin had 18 points and six rebounds in that victory over an Indiana team that went on to win the NCAA title that year. But he’s remembered for something else. With less than a minute to play, Thomas took a swing at Krafcisin. He didn’t connect.

“I could feel the whoosh of his swing,” Krafcisin said.

Bob Hogue, doing play-by-play of the game on Iowa’s television network, told listeners, “Isiah Thomas has just punched Steve Krafcisin…”

Krafcisin chuckled at that.

“A punch….well, not exactly,” he said.

But Special K did turn in a bit of an Academy Awards performance. He exaggerated the result of Thomas’s airball. And he did it well.

“Thomas got ejected, then Knight got a technical foul,” Steve said, smiling at the memory.

Thomas, who would be named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament two months later, apologized to Krafcisin after the game and told reporters that he “did something dumb.” Special K didn’t apologize for his thespian skills.

But as a person, there’s no act involved. Steve Krafcisin is as good as it gets, genuine as the day is long. The only team he’s got to worry about now is his wife of 30 years, Joanne, their three children and all his former players who still keep in touch.

Here’s hoping retirement leaves Krafcisin happy as he reflects on a career fulfilled. And if I ever need to hear a good story, I know who to call.