As part of the Cedar Rapids Titans re-brand to the River Kings, the franchise cleaned house during the offseason ahead of 2019. That included bringing in well-heralded head coach Mark Stoute to lead the team this season.
It was a respected and intriguing move, considering the last time Stoute had coached the Cedar Rapids franchise, he led them to the conference championship.
This season, however was a complete 180 from the success he saw in his first stint in CR.
The team finished 1-13 and now has announced that they have parted ways with Stoute.
“Coach Stoute and I have talked a number of times since the end of the season,” River
Kings General Manager Reggie Harris said in a press release from the team. “We have mutually agreed to look at other opportunities at the Head Coach position in Cedar Rapids for the 2020 season.”
Stoute was the winningest coach in franchise history, and finishes his time in town with a 42-30 record.
The team announced in the press release that they would be conducting a national search to replace the most successful head coach they’ve had for the second time.
“We have started a search process that we hope to complete quickly so we are in
a position to build a winning team for next season,” Harris said in the release. “Our intent is to bring someone who can recruit well and has experience competing for, and winning,
championships.”
“We wish [Stoute] well in his endeavors and appreciate what he did for us this season.”
The release stated that Stoute will look for opportunities to continue coaching closer to his home state of Connecticut, where he is already involved with coaching a high school football team.
The River Kings, along with the rest of the Indoor Football League will return to the field for the 2020 regular season in February.
