Author Dan Kellams will discuss the life and career of controversial Marion High School coach Les Hipple during a presentation at the History Center in downtown Cedar Rapids on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 1 p.m.

Kellams, who graduated from Marion High School in 1954 and played four sports under Hipple, will examine the coach's strict style and the conflicts and political infighting that led to his dismissal.

"A Coach's Life" chronicles how Hipple, praised for his strict discipline and winning teams in the 1940s and '50s, failed to change his style as the times changed during the social upheaval of the late 1950s and '60s. He was fired in 1965 for being too strict.

Hipple, who died in 1999, still looms large in the history of Iowa high school athletics. He is one of the few men to be enshrined in the Iowa coaching halls of fame for both football and basketball.

Kellams is a graduate of Cornell College. He is currently a New York-based freelance writer and editorial consultant. He makes regular contributions to the Metro Sports Report.

Admission is free and open to the public. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.

The Carl and Mary Koehler History Center is located at 615 First Ave. SE in Cedar Rapids.