COUNCIL BLUFFS – Iowa Western Community College football coach Scott Strohmeier sits in his living room on an October morning, quietly clutching a white visor he wears on gamedays. Strohmeier runs his hands across the “EM” purple stitched letters, honoring his late daughter Emily, softly touching each letter.
“She never complained of anything,” Strohmeier says.
Strohmeier tries to fight back any tears that may come as he thinks about Emily, who died this past May. She was 22. Her death still rattles the man considered by many to be one of the best junior-college football coaches in the country. Time rarely goes by without thinking about her, even on the football field and especially when he has his visor on.
“Whenever I put it on, you think of it,” Strohmeier says.
That’s the point of the whole thing and this entire season. It hasn’t been just about wins and losses. The Iowa Western football season has also been about honoring and remembering Emily Strohmeier, who was one of the biggest fans of the program. Throughout the year, the Reivers have made sure her legacy lives on while helping their coach through perhaps the toughest time in his life.
“They know they want to win it not only for her but my dad as well,” said Strohmeier’s daughter Kate.
Football helps through the tough times and Iowa Western creates a special bond for the Strohmeier family
There have been plenty of tough times ever since Emily Strohmeier was born with Down syndrome in 2002. She underwent heart surgery and later in life suffered through kidney problems. Football was a means of helping her family through all the challenges.
Shortly after she was born, Scott Strohmeier, who was working on the staff at Concordia, reached out to Gene Stallings. Stallings was a successful college and NFL head coach whose son also had Down Syndrome. Stallings became a huge advocate for people with special needs.
Strohmeier spoke with the Hall of Fame coach about his daughter and what his family was going through. The conversation helped.
“It was more so probably just to talk to somebody that has dealt with some of those (issues),” Strohmeier said.
Football was a passion for Scott and Emily. Scott went on to work on the Truman State staff and led the North Iowa Area Community College football program from 2005-07. He then took over Iowa Western in 2008 and turned it into a recruiting powerhouse, with colleges across the country seeking his players.
Emily Strohmeier was there every step of the way. The game and the football program in Council Bluffs helped bond father and daughter. Emily and her mom Karla sometimes swung by practice. Scott still has a prized picture of his daughter trying to take down a tackling dummy. The Reivers became an important part of Emily’s life, and she often became the center of attention.
Nicknamed “Sassy” for her fun-loving attitude, Emily had a smile on her face that everyone seemed drawn to. When fans walked into the stadium, many would wander over to her and offer to buy her popcorn or other snacks at the concession stand.
“Everyone knew her,” Karla Strohmeier said.
Emily’s closet was full of Iowa Western gear that she loved to wear. Her mom remembers picking out a nice outfit for her oldest daughter for photo day at school. She later discovered that her daughter had already selected a Reivers shirt for photo day.
Emily made it to as many games as she could. But when she started dealing with health issues as she got older, that became more difficult. Still, she cheered from afar, watching live streams from a special spot in the family’s living-room floor. If the game turned into a rare loss for Iowa Western, she demanded her dad rewind the stream when he got home to watch it again, in hopes of the ending turning out differently a second time around.
The coaches on the team became family friends, sometimes stopping by to watch Emily and her sisters Kate and Anna. Emily saw the staff as part of the family. Anna Strohemier believes that’s why her sister looked forward to gamedays so much.
“She was like, ‘All of my favorite people are going to be in one place,’” Anna Strohmeier said. “I think that’s definitely why she loved it the most.”
Victories were savored by everyone in the house but especially Emily, who looked forward to her parents ordering pizza if the Reivers won. They usually did. Her dad built Iowa Western into a national power that routinely moved players to Division I programs and frequently won conference championships. The Reivers also won NJCAA national titles in 2012, 2022 and 2023. They finished as runner-up in 2024.
Division I schools across the country took an interest in Scott Strohmeier, but he stayed in Council Bluffs. The school and the town had become home for him and his family.
The Strohmeier family and their neighbors would routinely have gatherings at Emily’s request. If it was raining, she wanted to have a rain party and invite everyone over. Everyone nearby usually obliged. Emily was too loving and too kind to turn down.
“She was always giving someone a hug or making someone’s day,” Anna Strohmeier said.
That never stopped, even as Emily got sick. She eventually experienced kidney failure and started getting treated with dialysis. The treatments were long, tedious and often early in the day. But she rarely complained and always had a smile on her face.
“She was a tough little cookie,” Scott Strohmeier said.
Playing for Scott Strohmeier and honoring Emily
Fans, players and coaches have seemingly been there whenever the Strohmeier family needed them. Toward the end of 2024, Emily Strohmeier’s health had gotten worse. She needed a new kidney. So her father logged onto X, the social-media site formerly known as Twitter, and put up a post looking for help. He urged people to look into potentially becoming a living donor. The post spread fast.
Family, friends and former players tried to become potential matches for Emily.
“It was overwhelming just with the people that responded or reached out,” Scott Strohmeier said.
The call to action helped. Emily received a match and was on the verge of getting a kidney from one of Karla’s sisters. While waiting for a transplant, Emily continued to need dialysis. To replace her temporary port, she had surgery to place a fistula, which allows for more permanent dialysis delivery to clean toxins from the blood when the kidneys no longer work properly.
Emily’s fistula became infected, causing an aneurysm. The aneurysm burst, leading to massive blood loss. She died at the family’s home.
“It was unexpected,” Karla Strohmeier said.
Community members showed up to the house, armed with food and flowers. The family fridge was overflowing. Their garage fridge was broken, so a neighbor replaced it. That one filled up as well.
Iowa Hawkeyes special teams coordinator LeVar Woods, who was in the Council Bluffs area the morning of Emily’s death, stopped by the house. Scott’s coaches came by to check in on him. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz and Iowa State coach Matt Campbell sent flowers. Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, a popular dining spot that Emily loved, sent the family gift cards. Iowa Western coaches took things off Scott’s plate so he could be with his family.
“It’s just the right thing to do,” said Iowa Western defensive coordinator/academic coordinator/linebackers coach Mike Blackbourn.
Football once again paved the way for Scott Strohmeier during a difficult time. Before the 2025 season started, Blackbourn called Karla Strohmeier to ask her a question. He wanted the team to have helmet decals honoring Emily. The plan was to use her favorite color, purple. Karla didn’t tell her husband about the call.
About a week before the team’s first game of the season, Blackbourn and a few other coaches stopped by Scott’s office. They were carrying an Iowa Western helmet. On the back was “EM” in purple. Scott couldn’t believe it.
“I was shocked,” he said with a smile.
Later that day, some of the players took the helmet into a meeting room with the rest of the team and explained the addition to their gameday attire. The Reivers decided they would play for their head coach and his late daughter as they pursued a championship.
Throughout the season, Emily Strohmeier’s life has become a source of inspiration for the team. Blackbourn talks to the players about she’s meant to the Iowa Western family.
“I knew (Scott) wouldn’t really say a lot with the stickers,” Blackbourn said. “But I just told them that ‘You just play with your heart and your effort every single day.’ That’s how we always want our guys to play but this one’s a little bit more special.”
The season has become a special one for the Reivers and for the Strohmeier family. Iowa Western compiled a 10-1 mark during the regular season and will play host to Tyler Junior College on Dec. 5 in the national junior-college playoffs. Blackbourn said he’ll continue to talk about Emily with the players. They decided to dedicate the season to her.
“She was a big part of our team,” said Iowa Western defensive lineman Jeremy Lewis.
Her presence is still sadly missing during games and at home. The carpet where she routinely sat to watch games at the family house is still matted down. Fans still come up to Karla Strohmeier during games to check in on her. People also stop by Scott Strohmeier’s office. They won’t say what it’s for, but he knows it’s to check in on him.
Football, the school, the town and this special season have helped with the grieving process.
“It’s been an amazing blessing and God’s definitely placed us in a special place,” Anna Strohmeier said. “We’re lucky to have the people in the community that we do.”
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Western football playing for coach Strohmeier’s late daughter
Reporting by Tommy Birch, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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