Close friends and colleagues believe Jim Dostal cause of death to be suicide. The football coach was 59 at the time of his demise.
One of the well-known public figures in the Cedar Rapids community, Jim Dostal, was inducted into the Coe College Hall of Fame in 2003. He was an all-metro and all-conference running back during his time at Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School.
He continued pursuing football at the college level and later coached at Coe, Prairie, and Jefferson. Dostal also led the J-Hawks to a Class 4A State Playoff semi-final in 1992.
The football coach received his doctorate from the University of Iowa in 2012 in Educational Leadership. Those living in Cedar Rapids have confirmed the cause of his death, though no official statement has been released.
Jim Dostal Obituary And Death Cause
The former longtime Cedar Rapids football coach, Jim Dostal, passed away at age 59 in Cedar Rapids. The official statement about his death’s cause has not been released.
However, there are reports on social media that the football coach committed suicide. On January 3, The Gazette reported that a man was found dead outside Taft Middle School on Wednesday morning.
The first responders were called to the middle school at 8:30 AM on Wednesday for a report of an unresponsive adult male. Medical personnel determined the man was deceased.
Taft Principal Gary Hatfield sent an email to parents, which said that the medical incident did not involve any Taft students or staff.
The full email was later posted on the subreddit dedicated to the Cedar Rapids community. The email further read that as it is a small community someone at the school knew the man, so to be sensitive about the news affecting others.
In the comment section, many confirmed that the man was the former football coach Jim Dostal. But there were many skeptics in the comment section rightfully questioning the source.
One user confirmed that they told teachers at Prairie and Jefferson at the end of the school day the cause of death. Another user also commented that those close to the situation (Jefferson, Prairie, Taft) have confirmed the cause of death to be suicide.
Tributes To The Football Coach
Mark Bliss, a close friend and the former head coach of Cedar Rapids Prairie High School, released a statement on X, confirming Jim’s demise.
He shared a photo of Jim and wrote, “Today I share news of the passing of my closest friend Jim Dostal. I know that 1000 players and students benefited from having you in their lives.
I will cherish our 29 years of friendship and brotherhood. Love & miss ya brother.” In a report shared by The Gazette, the two became good friends after meeting at a bowl game in Australia.
In his interview with The Gazette, Mark also shared that he came to Cedar Rapids after Jim convinced him to take the role.
One of Jim’s students also shared a sweet note about the coach on his Facebook handle. Saif Alsafi, class of 2010 Jefferson High School, talked about when Jim led the graduation rehearsal.
Jefferson Football’s X page also published a statement. They wrote, “Today we were shocked by the passing of Dr./Coach Jim Dostal.
Coach was a staple in our Westside community as a former student/athlete/grad, outstanding instructor, and phenomenal coach! His loss is an absolute shot to the heart of the community. RIP Coach.”
