Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

One of the most successful coaches in the history of Iowa high school sports stepped down on Monday.

West High tennis coach Mitch Gross, who turned the Trojans into the premier tennis program and one of the top dynasties in Iowa high school history regardless of sport, announced on Monday he was stepping down as head coach after 22 years.

During an unprecedented career that included eight state team titles and 314 wins Gross turned West High into the gold standard for tennis in Iowa.

Gross was named interim principal at West High last August and that role became permanent in March.

On Monday, Gross announced he was stepping down from his role as tennis coach in part to spend more time watching his own children which includes daughter Zola, who is a junior at West High and was a member of the Trojans’ state semifinal tennis squad last spring.

“Although I absolutely love coaching the timing is right for me to step away,” Gross said in a release. “I want the opportunity to full be a parent, watching my own kids participate in their activities.”

Gross played collegiate tennis at Ripon College and spent two seasons as the head coach at Ballard High School before coming to West High  in 2001 where he  inherited a program with one winning season in the previous four years and coming off a 3-12 campaign.

West High went 10-6 in the first season under Gross and won its first state title under Gross in 2005.

That was just the beginning for West High as Gross transformed the Trojans into a Class 2A tennis force previously unseen in Iowa.

West High reached the state championship match 13 times and won eight state titles under Gross, playing in the Class 2A state title match every season since 2011.

Under the leadership of Gross, West High won state titles in 2005, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019 and finished runner-up five more times including last season when the Trojans fell to Waukee in the 2A title match.

“The championships and accolades are great but I have truly valued and will miss more than anything are the relationships with the guys We are a close-knit bunch and I have a tight bond with almost all of the guys who have come through the program,” Gross said in the release. “Nothing makes me happier than reminiscing with former players about past seasons.”

In addition to the eight team titles Gross coached five state singles champions, four state doubles championship teams and two state mixed doubles championships.

His West High teams won 15 Mississippi Valley Conference divisional titles in 22 years and Gross was named MVC coach of the year 10 times.

Gross closed his career with an eye-popping 314-38 career record in 22 seasons, with the last 20 of those years as a head coach coming at West High.

West High went 16-2 last season, winning an epic, six-hour state semifinal over Pleasant Valley 5-4 before falling to Waukee 5-3 in the title match.

“I would like to thank and congratulate coach Mitch Gross for his monument service to West High and Iowa high school tennis,” West High activities director Craig Huegel said. “Iowa City West men’s tennis has been transformed into a dynasty in large part due to coach Gross and the great student athletes at West High. While I am sad to see him retire from coaching I look forward to collaborating with Mr. Gross in his new role as West High principal.”

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