Former Ankeny basketball standout Conor Riordan got a call less than two weeks ago that changed his life.
On the other end of the phone was Central College men’s basketball coach Joe Steinkamp, who told his assistant coach that he was considering stepping down.
“Not many people have given the Central program what he has. He’s been an incredible mentor for me,” Riordan said of Steinkamp. “But the Pella Christian (boys’ basketball) coach resigned the first week of June, kind of out of the blue. The Pella Christian Athletic Director just kind of reached out to Joe and was like, ‘Hey, I know this is a long shot, but would you be interested?’
“So Joe called me about a week and a half ago and told me he was interested. The more he thought about it, he thought it would be a good opportunity for him. It’s an opportunity to coach his kids and spend a lot more time with his family. I’m excited for him that he’ll get to continue coaching and just really invest in his family,” Riordan added.
Steinkamp’s departure opened the door for Riordan to receive a promotion. He has been tabbed the interim head coach by vice president for athletics Eric Van Kley.
“It’s a really cool opportunity, and getting to do it in the conference that I played in and here in central Iowa, it’s pretty special,” Riordan said. “So I’m pretty excited.”
Riordan joined Central’s staff as an assistant coach in 2022. He has helped the Dutch to a 52-28 record over the last three seasons.
In Riordan’s first year on the staff, Central went 13-3 in the American Rivers Conference and won the program’s 18th league title. This past season, the Dutch captured the conference tournament crown, earning the program’s 12th NCAA Division III tourney berth.
“We are deeply grateful to Joe Steinkamp for all he’s done as a player and staff member at Central,” Van Kley said in a press release. “He’s an outstanding coach and beyond that, he’s poured his heart into the men’s basketball program, which he’s leaving in a much better place. This was an incredibly emotional decision for him because he loves his players and he loves Central, but his new opportunity will allow him to spend more time with his family. Yet I know he will remain a passionate fan of the Dutch.
“At the same time, we are tremendously enthused about the team’s future and what Conor Riordan can do as head coach,” Van Kley said. “He and coach Steinkamp have put the program in a tremendous position for future success. We have some exciting young players who we think can help take Central men’s basketball to even greater heights.”
Riordan, a two-time all-conference pick at Ankeny High School under coach John Petersen, went on to become a two-time academic all-American at Simpson College, graduating in 2020. He was a three-time first-team American Rivers all-conference guard for the Storm and a finalist for the Jostens Trophy as the outstanding NCAA Division III player.
Riordan averaged 20.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 2019-20, finishing with 1,533 career points. He was chosen to play with a Division III team on a 2021 summer tour of Brazil hosted by USA Sports and Events.
“I feel like I have a good understanding of what it takes to be a successful student-athlete at this level and specifically at Central,” Riordan said. “I have a great relationship with everybody in our program. I’ve kind of been the recruiting director so I know the incoming freshmen really well, and I feel like there will be a lot of continuity as we move forward into this next chapter.”
Steinkamp is confident that Riordan is ready to take over the program.
“I think he’s a star,” Steinkamp said in a press release. “He’s great. He’s just so smart, so organized. And the guys love him.”
The Dutch will have to replace 6-foot-10 center Joshua Van Gorp, a three-time all-American and Central’s all-time leading scorer. Former Ankeny player Karson Wehde, who started 26 times and averaged nearly 10 points per game last season, has also departed the program–he elected to give up the sport due to a chronic leg injury.
“I don’t think much will change at all,” Riordan said. “I think we can take the momentum we’ve built the last three years and continue to build off it. We do lose a couple of really good players, and when you lose a big piece like (Van Gorp), you know you’re going to look a little bit different. But I think we’ve got a great young core in our program. We’re excited to build around that and keep this thing moving forward.”
Riordan will coach the Dutch in the 2025-26 season. He is looking to eventually become the permanent coach.
“I’m hoping things go well and we can just remove the (interim) tag,” he said. “Basically, they’re just kind of using that as a safety net for me–if I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. Hopefully, we can have a great year and have fun doing it and I don’t have to worry about that.
“I’m all in. I’m ready to get to work,” he added.