PELLA— It's official.
           
Less than two months into the season, Central College has elevated Conor Riordan to head men's basketball coach after serving as interim coach since June 25.
           
Eric Van Kley, vice president for athletics, made the announcement in the team locker room following Central's 91-72 victory over Northwestern-St. Paul (Minn.) Saturday before the players left campus for the Christmas holiday.
           
Riordan (REER-den), who joined the Dutch staff as assistant coach in 2022, replaced Joe Steinkamp, who resigned in June after nearly 20 years with the program as a player and staff member, including three seasons as head coach.
           
A two-time CSC Academic All-America® honoree at Simpson College, Riordan was a finalist for the Jostens Trophy as the NCAA Division III player of the year. He was a three-time American Rivers all-conference guard, finishing with 1,533 points. A three-year team captain at Ankeny High School, Riordan returned there as sophomore team coach in 2020-21 before becoming a graduate assistant at Midland University (Neb.), where he earned a master's degree.
           
"My feelings about Conor have only been reinforced," Van Kley said. "I think he's going to be a star as a head coach. When Coach Steinkamp left, we didn't want to rush into a decision on a replacement, but I thought then and I think now that Conor is the right person for the job. There's no need to do a national search after the season because I'm confident in saying we would reach the same conclusion. We're extremely excited about the future of the program under his leadership."
           
Central captured last year's American Rivers tournament crown, earning the program's 12th NCAA Division III tournament berth, and won its 18th conference championship in 2023, but Riordan has inherited a youthful roster. The team's top 10 scorers are underclassmen and eight are freshmen or sophomores, but he's guided the Dutch to a 5-5 mark. Van Kley has kept a watchful eye on the team's development and likes what he sees.
           
"Conor is doing a really nice job," Van Kley said. "He relates well to the players and is very patient and encouraging, which is really important with a young team. But he also brings a lot of enthusiasm and energy to the program. And he continues to shine as a recruiter, which was one of his strengths as an assistant. He's very poised and confident on the sideline and, most importantly, is a great role model and mentor for our student-athletes. Their growth and development are his primary concerns.
           
"He's building a championship culture and I'm confident that with the players we have here now and will continue to bring in, and with the staff we have in place, the Central men's basketball program will reach new heights."
           
Following a short Christmas break, Riordan and the Dutch head to Las Vegas for the D3hoops.com Classic. Central takes on Occidental College (Calif.) Monday at 8 p.m. (Pacific Time) and Bridgewater State University (Mass.) Tuesday at 4 p.m.