Jocelyn Kovarik, an assistant coach for the DMACC women’s basketball program for the past 12 seasons, has been named the school’s new women’s basketball head coach. Kovarik will replace head coach Steve Krafcisin who is retiring after 17 seasons at DMACC.
“When looking for the next head coach and leader of the DMACC women’s basketball program, we were focused on a couple of details,” DMACC Athletics Director B.J. McGinn said. “We wanted someone who has a good feel for DMACC as an institution, as well as the tradition that we have both with women’s basketball and our DMACC Athletic Department as a whole. Assistant DMACC Women’s Basketball Coach Jocelyn Kovarik (Anderson) is the perfect fit.
“Coach Kovarik has served in the role as assistant DMACC women’s basketball coach for Coach Steve Krafcisin the past 12 seasons, handling all aspects of the DMACC women’s basketball program. She was a two-time National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American for the DMACC Bears and was a member of the Iowa State University Women’s Basketball program for two seasons, being a part of an Elite Eight run under Head Coach Bill Fennelly.
“Coach Kovarik’s work ethic is second to none, and I am very excited to have her as the next head women’s basketball coach of the DMACC Bears.”
Kovarik said she is thrilled to become the school’s next head coach for women’s basketball.
“I am very excited,” Kovarik said. “We are going to miss Coach K a ton. That’s the reality of it. That’s everyone on campus, the community, fans, players and staff, that’s everyone. But on the other side of it I am very excited.”
Kovarik said she really hadn’t given much thought to become a head coach until the last couple of seasons.
“Being the assistant for quite a few of those years it was always in my head that (Krafcisin) would always be there and I would always be the assistant,” Kovarik said. “The last couple of years it became more of a reality that retirement was an option for him and having the opportunity (to become the head coach) became more of a (priority) for me.”
Kovarik, a graduate of Prairie Valley High School in Gowrie, played at DMACC in 2005-06 and 2006-07, earning NJCAA All-American honors both seasons. She left DMACC holding school and career records in blocked shots in a career (338), in a season (176) and in a game (10).
Kovarik transferred to Iowa State University (ISU) and played for head coach Bill Fennelly for two seasons. She helped the Cyclones to the Elite Eight in 2009, broke the single season record for blocked shots with 75 and is ranked fourth all-time in career blocked shots with 97.
Kovarik earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and assisted with the All-Iowa Attack basketball organization in Ames before joining Krafcisin at DMACC. She said coaching with All-Iowa Attack gave her an opportunity to stay connected with basketball.
“Even at that point I never thought I’d get much further in coaching,” Kovarik said. “I was reached out to by DMACC and probably the greatest decision of my life was to pursue that (opportunity). Coaching really wasn’t a thought until all of this kind of opened up. There are no words to describe how lucky and fortunate I feel to be part of DMACC.”
During the early signing period last fall, Krafcisin signed four players to the DMACC women’s basketball program for the 2022-23 season. Kovarik said she has reached out to all four and that they plan to honor their commitments to DMACC.
“They have been wonderful,” Kovarik said. “They understand the situation and will miss Coach K just like the rest of us, but I think they are all excited about the opportunities they have next year.
“I think you have to be flexible and adapt to what you do have for athletes, but you do recruit for a certain style of play. Defensively, things might be a little bit different, but the idea is the same, you want to get stops individually and play team defense. I have learned so much from (Krafcisin) as far as the X’s and O’s go. He is an amazing coach.”
Kovarik and her husband, Jeremiah, make their home in Ames. They are the parents of two children, Paisley and Quinn.
https://www.dmaccbears.com/sports/wbkb/2021-22/releases/20220303gh30fi
