Mason City coach retires

The coaching career of Bob Horner at Mason City High School has come to an end. Horner spent 26 years coaching high school basketball, the last 17 as the head Mohawk. Horner took a program that went 21-70 from 1982-to-1987 back to a level of success, including two state championships and five overall state tournament appearances. Horner’s son Jeff has played the last two seasons at the University of Iowa and has tried to juggle the coaching duties along with watching his son play in the Big Ten, and Bob Horner says its tough to give up coaching but now is the time to focus his thoughts fully on Jeff. Horner says his two state championship teams in 1996 and 1997 will be the most memorable for him. Horner started coaching high school basketball in the 1978-79 season at West Bend, going to Lake Mills in 1982 where he guided the 1986 team to the state tournament before heading to Mason City at the start of the 1987-88 season. Horner has a career coaching record 344-214 with a mark of 221-153 at Mason City. He is second on the all time victories list and tied for longevity for a Mohawk coach. Former coach Judge Grimsley also guided the Mohawks for 17 years from 1926-43, posting 315 wins.