Over the weekend, two longtime volleyball coaches in the Tulip City were recognized for their outstanding careers. Former Pella Head Coach Bob Fessler and Eagles Coach John Evenhouse were both officially inducted into the Iowa High School Girls Coaches Association Hall of Fame in Carroll Saturday. Both Fessler and Evenhouse say it is an honor to go in with the other, as they were rival coaches and remain friends after many great matches over the years.

“John is so highly qualified as a coach, and I so respected how he handled the ups and downs of coaching,” Fessler says. “The young people that he coached never, ever lost the edge in competitiveness and always had his teams ready to go and play, and John always did it with a great heart and passion.”

“Bob is a good friend of mine, and we would compete like crazy on the floor, but in between games we’d talk to each other and after matches, so he’s a good friend,” Evenhouse says. “He has done a whole lot for volleyball, he was a very, very good coach, but in addition to that, he’s done a lot of stuff for the Iowa Girls Coaches Association, for the state, and he’s a referee now. He is very deserving.”

Evenhouse retired after a second stint with Pella Christian last fall, while Fessler remains an active administrator in the IGCA, Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, and as a high school and collegiate official. Evenhouse led the Eagles to 10 state tournament appearances, while Fessler pushed Pella to the final round of eight five consecutive years in his career.

Full interview with Fessler:

Full interview with Evenhouse: