Mitch Osborn

The Moonlight Graham Show

Every Iowa sports fan knows the reputation of Harlan Community High School. The Harlan Cyclones are known far and wide for their success in every sport. Coach Bladt and the football program built a foundation of success that the entire community rests on. There is a lot of pride in the school colors and full bleachers whenever they take the field or court. Mitch Osborn has helped to continue that success in his roles as AD and head basketball coach. This week we sit down with Coach Osborn to learn about his career and what makes Harlan so darn special.

Coach Mitch Osborn has been around sports his whole life. He has spent countless hours on the court or field as an athlete, coach, AD, and dad. His basketball teams have had runs that any coach would be jealous of, but they are part of a culture of winning at Harlan Community. His time at Elk Horn-Kimballton and then a state title with Pomeroy-Palmer were great stops on his journey, but Coach Osborn is most known for his time in the red and silver.

Coach Osborn has over 700 career wins, 20 of his seasons have ended at the state tournament, and was inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014. He gives a lot of credit to his players and their community for his successes, but Harlan Community is a unique place. Coach Osborn talks about watching legendary football coach Curt Bladt run practice and about maintaining a competitive culture.

Part of that culture at Harlan Community is multi-sport athletes. Many of the best athletes in Harlan's history, including Coach Osborns own sons, competed nearly year-round for the Cyclones. He credits having depth and competitive practices as key parts of having sustained success. While it seems like the rest of the world is driving kids to specialize, one of the winningest athletic departments in state history emphasizes just the opposite. The Moonlight Graham Show is always rooting for the underdogs, and while that isn’t a label given to Harlan Community very often, we love the way that school, and the entire community, get it done year in and year out.