Tyler Downing to take over Comet girls basketball program

To The Press

CHARLES CITY, — Tyler Downing, a 15-year coaching veteran, will be named the Charles City High School head girls basketball coach of his alma mater pending board approval by the Charles City Community School District Board of Education Monday evening.

Mr. Downing is a social studies teacher with the Charles City High School. He was hired in 2009 as a special education teacher and accepted an opening in the social studies department earlier this year.

Downing’s multi-sports coaching background includes 15 years of coaching Comet baseball, 11 years coaching 7th-grade boys basketball, assistant coach to the high school boys team, eight seasons leading 7th-grade football, girls middle school track and field coach, and 4 years as assistant high school football coach.

“I’m eager to get our players excited about playing basketball,” says Downing. “We’re looking to work hard, have fun, and build on the key fundamentals of the game. We want to build a culture of positive attitudes, 100% effort, and game time focus. It’s critical players enjoy their time while being passionate about their commitment to improving. Getting better every day is part of the Charles City experience.”

Downing will be accompanied by assistant coach Kelsi Crooks along with Katlyn Shultz, and a mentor coach to be named later. Crooks is returning this year to continue coaching with the Comets. Shultz is new to coaching, joining the Charles City Middle School in the fall of 2020 as a middle school special education teacher.  She was a multi-sport athlete at North Butler Community Schools.

One of Downing’s first goals is to work with the Charles City High School wrestling team to find opportunities where girls who are wrestling can also participate in girls’ basketball.

“Tyler has a wealth of qualifications that our players will get to tap into,” says Activities Director Todd Forsyth. “He’s played and coached basketball in Charles City and is the right person at the right time for the job. I think we have a good team of coaches that will work together to build the Charles City Experience. We have a team of coaches who love the game of basketball and are willing to step into a new challenge.”

Downing graduated from Charles City High School and Cornell College. He has his Masters of Education in special education from Morningside College. He is married to his wife, Sarah Downing, a social studies teacher with the Charles City High School. They have two children, Laken 3-years-old and Niall 1-year-old.