When Cornell College made the jump from the American Rivers Conference (then Iowa Intercollege Athletic Conference) to the Midwest Conference after the 2011-2012 athletic year, one of the goals was to have the ability to experience more success with their football program.
Their departing gift from the IIAC was a 77-7 defeat from their archrival, Coe College, who took a year’s worth of frustration out on the lowly Rams. This was further proof that something needed to change.
The move paid some early dividends in the success department as the program finished with a 7-3 record in 2013 in the Midwest Conference and it felt like they were on the right path to be a perennial competitor for conference titles. Fast forward to 2025, Cornell is still searching for that elusive championship, NCAA Division III playoff appearance, and their rivalry with Coe, “The Oldest Rivalry West of the Mississippi River”, has been far from a rivalry as the Rams have lost 24 straight to the Kohawks.
On the surface, things sound pretty bleak in terms of breaking the streak against COE, but fans of the Mount Vernon based college are excited to welcome in a new leader of the Rams Football program: Curt Ritchie.
Ritchie, recently inducted into the Iowa Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, moves to Cornell after almost a quarter century as the head coach of the Williamsburg Raiders. His resume is incredible: 245 career wins (204 at Williamsburg, 41 at English Valleys, North English) in 32 years as a head coach, seven state semifinal appearances, four state championship game appearances, and finally, the big one that eluded him for three decades: the 2023 Class 3A State Championship.
Ritchie had a track record of molding young men and preparing them for the next level of football. His highest profile player is former NFL veteran and Iowa Hawkeye, Austin Blythe, who just so happens to be the man that is taking Ritchie’s spot as head coach at his alma mater. Blythe will certainly lean on Ritchie for guidance as he’s not only Ritchie’s former player, he is also his son-in-law.
To me, the move feels similar to what their long-time rivals did in the 2000’s with a coaching change. In 2008, Steve Staker was named Coe’s head coach of their football program. Staker brought 35 years of head coaching experience to Cedar Rapids after a legendary career at Fredericksburg High School.
Ties and connections to folks throughout the Hawkeye State, a wealth of knowledge, and an expectation to win certainly helped land Staker the head coaching gig. Yes, Staker did have some familiarity with the program and school as all five of his children attended Coe, and he served as the program’s defensive coordinator for a few seasons, but it was still a relatively quick leap from leading a small high school program to a college program. Staker went on to lead Coe for six seasons with his crown jewel a perfect 10-0 season in 2012 He was an AFCA Regional Coach of the Year, Iowa Conference Coach of the Year, and was a finalist for the NCAA Division III Coach of the Year during his perfect season. His players loved him, his coaches loved him, and his legacy lives on in Cedar Rapids.
Will Ritchie achieve similar success at Cornell to what the late Staker did at Coe? This guy believes the Rams knocked it out of the park with their hire and are on the right track. Ritchie’s teams have a secondary residency in the postseason as Williamsburg’s is on a 17 year playoff streak. He’s not only made the big one, but won the big one. He can adapt and get the most out of his talent. I’m confident Ritchie’s presence at Cornell will attract hard working, disciplined talent to Mount Vernon.
Only time will tell if Ritchie can take the Rams to new heights. We’re just over a month away from his collegiate coaching debut. Standing in Cornell’s way to start the year? The Coe College Kohawks, led by head coach Tyler Staker, the youngest of Steve’s five children.
As always, we appreciate your support and comments.
