Feature: Dick Breitbach Day

October 5, 2021, the Xavier Catholic Community came together to celebrate Dick Breitbach Day, a day in honor of the former administrator, teacher, coach and mentor, Dick Breitbach. This day was an opportunity for the community who Mr. Breitbach has served with such devotion for more than 60 years to show our appreciation for his dedication to Catholic education.  

Richard J. Breitbach began his relationship with Catholic education as a kindergartner at Cathedral Grade School in Dubuque, Iowa.  He spent his high school years at Loras Academy, the forerunner of Wahlert High School in Dubuque, graduating in 1955.  From there he attended the University of Notre Dame for a semester before returning to Dubuque and attending Loras College to finish his degree.  He later received his Master’s Degree from the University of Iowa.

Mr. Breitbach began his teaching career at Marian High School, a small Catholic high school, in Minnesota before coming to Regis High School in Cedar Rapids in 1960. He served Regis in numerous capacities from 1960-1998, including teaching World History, US History and Current events.  One of Mr. Breitbach’s most beloved classes was teaching a Marriage class in the theology department.  In 1964 Mr. Breitbach became the Associate Principal at Regis, along with the Athletic Director from 1991-1993.  He held the position of Principal at Regis from 1993 until its closing in 1998. He coached golf, baseball, football and basketball.

Coach Breitbach was an assistant football coach from 1960-1995 and helped Regis land in three state championship games and many other playoff appearances.  Coach Breitbach was an assistant to the former Bob Jennings, a sophomore coach in 1962 when Regis won the Boys State Basketball Championship. He was head basketball coach from 1977-1997, coaching all five of his own boys. During that time, Regis basketball teams had 13 State qualifiers, 7 State Championship games, 4 State Titles and 3 State Runner-Up Titles.

Coach Breitbach has been inducted into the Iowa Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Iowa High School Athletic Association’s Hall of Fame, Loras College Hall of Fame, The Cedar Rapids Kernels Hall of Fame, and the LaSalle-Regis-Xavier Hall of Fame.

Mr. Breitbach was the very first associate principal at Xavier High School when it opened in 1998, and retired in 2000. He coached Xavier freshman football for five years and returned to the court to serve as Xavier’s head boys basketball coach from 2001-2007, leading the Saints to state tournaments in 2005 and 2006.

Even though Dick Breitbach retired many years ago, you can still find him attending daily Mass at St. Matthew, and making weekly visits to Xavier High School, visiting with current staff, teachers, and students.

Mr. Breitbach recalls many of his students by name and attendance years at Regis and Xavier, and enjoys attending reunions when invited. Dick and his wife, Kitty, are the proud parents of seven Regis graduates: Mary (Regis 1979), John (Regis 1980), Kathy (Regis 1982), Dick Jr. (Regis 1983), Tom (Regis 1984), Dan (Regis 1985) and Mike (Regis 1987). Thirteen of Dick and Kitty’s grandchildren have graduated from Xavier High School.

Mr. Breitbach was celebrated throughout Xavier’s 2021 Homecoming Week with a special blessing at Homecoming Mass followed by a brunch for Mr. Breitbach and his family members. Before the start of the Xavier Homecoming varsity football game on October 8, Xavier High School’s President Chris McCarville and the LaSalle-Regis-Xavier Alumni Association’s President Ryan Charkowski presented Mr. Breitbach with a special commemorative clock to honor the time Mr. Breitbach has devoted to Catholic education in Cedar Rapids. Please join us in showing our appreciation of Dick Breitbach for more than 60 years serving Catholic education!