When Gary Laake agreed to coach the first girls’ basketball team at Davenport Assumption High School when he first started teaching there during the 1974-75 school year, he probably didn’t think that 51 years later he would still be coaching.
Laake, who has coached at Assumption and North Scott over the years, may be enjoying his final coaching duties on Monday when the Knights compete in the 14-team Class 4A boys’ golf district meet at Emeis Golf Course in Davenport.
“I always said if I’m not enjoying myself coaching a sport, I’m done because that’s why I do it in the first place,” said the 75-year-old Laake, who spent the last 43 years coaching golf. “I sure don’t do it for the money or the fame or any of that. I do it because I like doing it.”
While he admits that he still loves coaching after his 73rd season of golf between boys’ and girls’ teams and over 3,100 victories, he also admits it’s time to head to the 19th hole for some rest and relaxation.
“It was just time for me to let go and let somebody younger take it over,” said Laake, who left the Knights’ girls golf program after the 2022 season after 26 years of double-duty on the links. “…I wish I felt like I did five years ago and I would still do it. Unfortunately, age catches up to everybody.”
While now switching gears and focusing on playing the game instead of coaching it, he takes some incredible memories with him after coaching basketball, track & field, softball (at both Assumption and the former Marycrest College), and golf through the years.
“I’ve had the pleasure of not only coaching really good athletes and good golfers, but I’ve got to coach against some,” recalled Laake, noting North Scott’s Beth Bader, who went to play on the LPGA Tour for many years, as well as fellow former Lancer Dawn Freitag, who played at Missouri and on the Futures Tour.
The 41-year business education teacher said that the most important thing he tried to impart on his golfers was mindset more than swing tips.
“Don’t shy away from competition, embrace it,” he said. “People who shy away from it are going to fall apart on the course.”
He admits there are regrets that coaching kept him from watching his kids and grandkids participate in their activities, including Dylan Marti, a former North Scott Lancer who is now a junior on the Wartburg College football team. Laake was teaching and coaching at Assumption while his kids went through the North Scott school system.
“I did get to coach against one of my grandsons (Kyle Laake) because he played golf for Davenport Central,” said Laake with a smile.
It is tremendously symbolic that his last golf tournament as coach could be at Emeis if the Knights survive a district meet and advance to the state tournament.
“I kind of grew up on this course; the course opened in 1961, and I started working here in 1966 in high school. I worked over here for three years rolling greens and all of that,” said Laake, sitting outside the same clubhouse that housed legendary former Emeis pros Bob Fry and Jim Hasley.
Laake admitted that his sport growing up was baseball, and he was a “self-taught” golfer who took tips from Fry and Hasley and turned it into a spot on the then Palmer Junior College team when he was in school.
Laake said that he and Fry became close, “even caddying for him in the Iowa Open when it was held here.”
“Between him and Jim Hasley, I picked up quite a few lessons from them,” he said.
Along the way, he also picked up coaching pointers from those legends, and he put those to good use.
“I never thought it would be forever,” joked Laake of his coaching career. “I just took it one year at a time.”
And 50-plus years later, he is calling it a career.
“I think it’s just time they get new blood in,” said Laake, looking at his wife, Diane, “and maybe we can enjoy some time together.”
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TJ Johnston
sports writer/golf editor
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