Hall of Fame
Because of the reason for his absence, it seems only fitting that Jim Dostal not be here to accept this honor. It's Friday night, which means high school football. So Jim is in the booth at Cedar Rapids Prairie High School, calling plays for his Hawk defense. Even as he is inducted into the Coe College Athletic Hall of Fame, Jim is pursuing his passion for football, something he demonstrated so well here. Dostal was an all-metro and all-conference running back at Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School. After graduating in 1982, he bounced around from Morningside College to the University of Iowa, to Kirkwood Community College and to Upper Iowa University. Although he earned second-team all-conference honors while playing for his brother, Randy, a Peacock assistant coach, Jim wasn't content. After meeting with History Professor Glenn Janus and myself, Dostal became a Kohawk in 1985. Playing alongside fellow Hall of Fame linebacker Harold Phillips, Dostal was a key part of the first Coe team to advance to the NCAA Division III playoffs. He served as a team captain and earned third-team all-American honors in 1986, when he led the Coe defense with 53 solo tackles and was named Eastern Iowa Male Athlete of the Year by the Cedar Rapids Sports Club. The Kohawks were 18-2-1 over Dostal's junior and senior seasons when he has voted the most valuable defensive player and named to the all-conference team both years. In those two years, he intercepted seven passes, returning two for touchdowns. Before and after Coe, Dostal led Jefferson to its only state playoff appearances in the last quarter century - as a sophomore running back in 1979 and as a second-year head coach in 1992. Dostal returned to his old high school as a teacher in 1988 and was voted the most influential teacher by the student body in 1992 and 1993. His six years as head coach at Jefferson were marked by the second-most successful season in school history. The 1992 J-Hawks finished 10-2 after falling to Bettendorf in the state semifinals. The J-Hawks excelled with what was regarded as the state's best defense, which allowed 120 yards per game in conference play and recorded six shutouts. He continues to teach social studies at Jefferson while serving as an assistant football coach at Prairie. As a player in his youth and as a coach ever since, Jim's dedication to football is unparalleled. Jim was inducted to Jefferson's Hall of Fame in 1987. Tonight it's only fitting that he join the Coe Athletic Hall of Fame as well. For his outstanding contributions as a player, coach and teacher, we are privileged to welcome Jim Dostal to the Athletic Hall of Fame.
