WIAA boys basketball: Kiel's success forged through bond of 'friendship and family'
KIEL — Thursday marks just the third time the Kiel Raiders boys basketball team will play in the WIAA state tournament.
The first came back in 1974 and then in 2010, under former coach Jamie Arenz.
Arenz coached Kiel for 16 seasons before stepping down after the 2018 season to spend more time with his family, tapping his former Raiders' player Marcus Rumpff to take the helm.
“I was tired and I had a good wing man who I knew was ready,” Arenz said of the decision to step down. “I wanted to devote a lot more time to my family and part of my family was this group of seniors. It was the best decision I ever made.”
Arenz’s son, senior Pierce Arenz, is Kiel’s leading scorer this season and holds the career program records in points scored, steals and assists.
Before joining Arenz’s staff, Rumpff was the New Holstein girls basketball coach for four seasons but when he got the call from his former coach to lead the Kiel junior varsity, he wasn’t about to turn it down.
“The goal was always to coach boys and to know the opportunity might be available to one day coach in Kiel, that was my dream job,” Rumpff said. “I was all over it. I have so much respect for (Arenz). I owe most of my coaching success to (Arenz) so I jumped all over it.”
Arenz always knew Rumpff had what it takes to lead his own program, even back to his time as a player before graduating in 2007.
“He’s a sports guy and has a sports mind,” Arenz said. “You can always tell kids who get it.”
Having Arenz a phone call away eased any apprehension Rumpff might have had.
“Was a little scary at first, not going to lie,” Rumpff said. “I always knew I could call him if I needed him. We always stayed close.”
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After two years away from the sport, Arenz asked to come back on staff as an assistant.
Didn’t take Rumpff long to say yes.
“Any time a state (qualifying) coach wants to sit on our bench, how do you say no to that,” Rumpff said.
There hasn’t been any clashes of egos either, Arenz wouldn’t let something like that happen.
“It’s not that weird, I am never about any glory,” Arenz said. “It’s all about the kids and wanted to get back to work with kids, and kids who wanted to work hard.”
The players themselves trust and love having two talented coaches giving so much of themselves to the team.
“Those two are great, I love them both,” Kiel senior forward Grant Manz said. “They both trust our whole team. They believe in us and that’s a huge part of our team.”
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Added fellow senior forward Jack Heckmann:
“The basketball brains they have together is like nothing I’ve ever seen,” Heckmann said. “When they’re clicking on one cylinder, it’s fun to watch.”
Getting Kiel back to state has been a dream come true says Rumpff, but it means more doing it with Arenz at his side.
“It’s been great to do this together. Getting to do this together is special.” Rumpff said.
The duo have had more success together as coaches, with Kiel entering the state tournament 28-0, than they did as player and coach.
“A lot of great memories but wins weren’t easy to come by,” Arenz said.
Added Rumpff, not able to hold back his laughter looking back at his playing days.
“We weren’t that good,” Rumpff said with a laugh.
A relationship forged two decades ago has grown into something that has Kiel on the verge of a first-ever state boys basketball championship.
“We started as head coach and player and it turned into friendship and family,” Arenz said.
Contact Tom Dombeck at 920-686-2965 or tdombeck@htrnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Tom_Dombeck.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: WIAA boys basketball: Kiel led by former player-coach duo
