Retiring Iowa City Sports Reporter Talks Kids, Coaches and City Vs. West Rivalry

An Iowa City sports writer well-known to several generations of eastern Iowa prep athletes, coaches and parents is hanging up the pen and pad. 

Iowa City Press-Citizen's Susan Harman is retiring after 10 years at the newspaper. Harman, a University of Missouri graduate who previously worked at the Ames Tribune, was best known for covering high school sports.

Harman is the second recent departure from the sports staff. Longtime sports editor Ryan Suchomel had a fairly public departure this week. National media critic Jim Romenesko picked up on a KCJJ radio story that the Press-Citizen was outsourcing college sports coverage to the Des Moines Register and reassigning its reporters to cover high school sports. Romenesko reported the next day that Suchomel was fired. 

Harman wrote a sign-off article thanking the community and making a few thoughtful observations. You can read the entire article, here. 

"You have every right to be proud of your kids, coaches and administrators who have fostered this kind of success. Take a minute every now and then to thank them. I know I owe a lot to them."

She credited coaches and athletic directors for their hard work and acceptance of her. She thanked parents, students and community at large, observing about the students that "they are alternatively funny, shy, multi-talented, curious, intelligent, ambitious, goofy."

And, as a final kicker, Harman gave a wink to the conspiracy theorists that believe the newspaper favors the West High or City High over the other.

"One final thing: to those fans who fervently believe we favor West over City or City over West? You’re right."

Clever sign off. Farewell, Susan Harman.