When the names of top coaches come to mind, his is most likely not in the discussion. But it should be not only on the list but maybe at the top.

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Let's start with his coaching record in Cedar Rapids. He's won 1,000 games and lost 168. That's a winning percentage of nearly 86 percent. Counting this season, in which his team is 22-2, he's averaged 29 victories and less than five losses per season. That's the stuff of legend.

His name is Kim Muhl (pronounced moo-ul), and he's the women's basketball coach at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. During his 34-year reign of terror on Eagles opponents, Kirkwood has gone 412-33 at home... a winning percentage of nearly 93 percent inside Johnson Hall. No opponent wants to enter that building.

Muhl wins game after game in what seems like near obscurity in Cedar Rapids, despite the fact he's won eight NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Division II national titles with Kirkwood. In his first 33 seasons, the Eagles have reached the regional finals 30 times and the national tournament 21 times. Muhl has never had a team finish less than 10 games above .500. His 2022-23 team is 22-2 and ranked 4th in the nation. Their two losses have been to the nation's #2 and #5 teams.

In 2011, Muhl was elected into the NJCAA Hall of Fame. Since then, he's continued to pile up the wins and the accolades. Earlier this month, he was inducted into the Kirkwood Community College Hall of Fame. In 2018, he became a member of the William Penn University (Oskaloosa, Iowa) Athletics Hall of Fame. He starred for the Statesmen's men's basketball team, graduating in 1981.

William Penn University
William Penn University
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After a high school coaching career that included stops as an assistant at Marion and head coach at Norway for both girls' basketball (1988-89) and baseball (finished 2nd in 1A in 1989), Muhl applied at Kirkwood. He told the Gazette last month, "I didn't think I'd be coaching women's basketball. I applied for the men's job." It's pretty obvious what was meant to be. Congrats on 1,000 wins, coach!

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