Storm Lake Star Jaidyn Coon Reopens Recruitment After Creighton Coach Resigns

Thirty-six points. Eighteen rebounds. An overtime loss in the Class 3A state semifinals that ended Storm Lake's season. And then, within days, seven programs calling.

Jaidyn Coon's senior year at Storm Lake High School closed harder than anyone wanted, but the production he put together made the recruitment that followed inevitable. Coon, the 6-foot-7 composite four-star wing who earned Iowa's Mr. Basketball award this season, decommitted from Creighton last week after head coach Greg McDermott announced his retirement, reopening one of northwest Iowa's most closely watched recruitments.

"After recent changes at Creighton, I will be reopening my recruitment," Coon posted on social media. "I'm grateful for Coach McDermott and the entire Creighton staff. I'll continue to evaluate my options moving forward, with Creighton still very much in consideration."

The programs that made contact span three power conferences: Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan, Michigan State, Alabama, Saint Louis, and Wisconsin. Coon had originally committed to Creighton in May 2025, partly for its proximity to Storm Lake, choosing the Bluejays over a prior offer list that included Iowa, Iowa State, Illinois, TCU, Nebraska, and Drake. As the No. 3 overall prospect in Iowa's 2026 class, his return to the open market drew a fast, wide response.

The Iowa pursuit carries a particular local dimension. Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum grew up in Storm Lake and graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1999. McCollum took over Iowa in March 2025 after leading Drake to a Missouri Valley Conference title and built the Hawkeyes into a Sweet 16 program in his first season in Iowa City. Iowa State and Nebraska, two more programs from Coon's original offer list, are also playing in this week's Sweet 16 a detail their recruiters will not fail to mention.

The statistics that made Coon a national recruiting target are not in question. He averaged 22.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 53.2 percent from the field, becoming the all-time leading scorer in Storm Lake history in the process. He led the Tornadoes to a 24-3 record and the program's first state tournament win since 1980, its second straight trip to Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. The final game of his high school career produced 36 points and 18 rebounds before Storm Lake fell to ADM in overtime in the Class 3A semifinals.

What Coon weighs now goes beyond program prestige. Coaching stability is the variable that reset everything, and McDermott's retirement is the precise reason Coon is looking again. Creighton has named associate head coach Alan Huss, who was McDermott's designated successor, to lead the program going forward. Whether that continuity is enough to bring Coon back to Omaha will depend on conversations already underway. Proximity to home factored into the original decision; it is likely part of the calculation again.

An official commitment could come within weeks. A Big Ten landing would place Storm Lake basketball on nationally televised games throughout the season; a return to Creighton under Huss would be a statement about fit and loyalty in a period of transition. Either outcome closes a recruitment that began with one of the most complete senior seasons this community has seen in decades.