Coach Croghan to take on mother's business

McKaylie Croghan is the current head coach of the IKM-Manning Wolves volleyball team. Croghan has been with the Wolves for four years, one year of junior high and three years with varsity.

Before coming to Manning, Croghan was a special education teacher at Glidden-Ralston high school.

“I was in Glidden for six years prior to that,” Croghan said. “When I went from teaching in Glidden to teaching in Manning, that’s when I got the coaching job as well.”

Croghan loves coaching volleyball, but also understands the challenges that come with it.

“I think the challenges sometimes are just motivating the girls throughout the season, trying to get them to buy into what we’re doing,” she said. “The rewards are when you see them getting excited and playing as a team.”

The team finished the season with a 2-23 record, playing its final game against AHSTW in the class 2A Region 3 First Round match, which it lost in four sets.

Despite a tough season, Croghan is optimistic about the future of Wolves volleyball.

“I just hope that we continue to grow on those wins every year,” she added. “Really, truly buying into the whole thing, not just the twelve weeks of the season.”

Croghan attended Simpson College where she majored in elementary education, with an emphasis in mathematics. She played volleyball and was an outside hitter during her time there.

“I just really enjoyed being with all of the girls,” she said. “There are so many girls that I met along the way, and that’s been fun.”

Croghan no longer teaches, as she has moved on to a different career path, but has fond memories of her time teaching.

“It’s rewarding to make that connection with the kids and having them come back after they’re not in your classroom anymore and say hi,” Croghan said. “That makes you feel good and makes you know they liked you.”

With her teaching days behind her, Croghan now works at Country Interiors in Manning, a business she is taking over for her mother, who is soon to retire.

“Both of my parents are getting ready to retire,” she said. “They’ve both been in business for around 40 years.”

Croghan also comes from a strong family background in which she is close to her family.

“I have three older sisters,” Croghan said. “My oldest sister, Chelsea, has three kids and they live in Iowa Falls. She’s an art teacher. My next sister, Ashley, lives in Dallas, TX. She does ministry work and has one kid, and one on the way. My next sister, closest to me, Lindsey, works for John Deere and lives in Des Moines.”

When Croghan is not working or coaching volleyball, she has quite the friends group and doesn’t stay too far away from athletics.

“In my off time, I enjoy hanging out with my friends watching college sports,” Croghan said. “I teach swim lessons in the summer and coach a swim team in the summer."