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- Title:
- Student-Athlete
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- Previous College Sports Played:
- Football, Men's Track & Field, Men's Basketball
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- Graduating Class:
- 1939
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- Induction Class:
- 1964
Bio
One of the most successful, and recognized coaches in Siouxland history, Russ Kraai graduated from Morningside in 1939 after attending Northwestern Junior College for two years. A three-sport athlete at Morningside, Kraai coached four seasons at Havelock, Iowa, then spent 41 years at Holstein where he coached football, boys, and girls basketball, and track. In 25 seasons, his football teams captured 16 conference championships, and compiled a 161-44-3 overall record.
He coached track for 45 seasons, and built the Holstein Relays into the largest high school track meet in the state. Kraai received the prestigious Lyle Quinn Award from the Iowa High School Athletic Association, and was enshrined in the respective football, girls basketball, track coaches association Hall of Fames. He was just the fifth Iowan to be inducted into the National Federation of State High School Associations.