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Strom Retires After 33 Years By Matt Weitzel U niversity of Iowa men's basketball director of operations Jerry Strom has retired after 33 years with the program. A longtime member of the Iowa athletics department, Strom was a member of six Iowa basketball staffs that competed in 25 NCAA and NIT tournaments. "I was living my dream," said Strom. "Working 33 years at Iowa were the greatest years of my life. It is, and always has been, about the people. That's what makes Iowa and the community so special." "Jerry Strom has been a very good friend of mine for more than 20 years," said McCaffery. "I was thrilled to have the opportunity to have him on our staff. For the three years that we worked together, his contributions were beyond exceptional. He's part of the Iowa basketball family forever." Strom joined the Iowa staff in 1981 as a graduate assistant coach under head coach Lute Olson. He served in that capacity for two years prior to being promoted to the basketball administrative position in 1983. Strom worked closely with the Hawkeye basketball staff, helping coordinate travel and carry out the day-to-day activities, and scheduling, of Iowa's basketball program. Strom helped implement and was tournament director for Iowa's Hawkeye Challenge for 26 years, and for six years did color commentary with Jim Zabel for Iowa basketball on the Palmer Radio Network. Strom came to Iowa from Monmouth (Ill.) College, where he was assistant to the athletic director, as well as assistant basketball and baseball coach from 197981. Strom was athletic director, head basketball, and track and field coach at Martin Luther King High School in New York City for four years. Strom graduated from Fontanelle (Iowa) High School, where he earned all-state honors in basketball, football and baseball, as well as being selected to Iowa Boys State. He attended Concordia (Neb.) College, where he played basketball, baseball, and golf. Strom earned his master's degree (athletic administration) from Western Illinois in 1980, and worked toward a doctoral degree at Iowa. 21