A 45-year baseball coaching career of high school kids officially came to an end last night when Gene Schultz tendered his resignation at Kee, Lansing.

Schultz is the national win leader with eye-popping numbers. His Iowa record of 1,754-398 dwarfs all other rivals. It includes a record of 176-57 from 11 spring or fall seasons. His National Federation record, which includes summer season games only, is 1,578-341.

He arrived at Kee High School in the fall of 1969 and almost immediately his teams stamped themselves as a perennial power.

Under Schultz’s guidance the Kee Hawks authored numerous entries into the Iowa all-time baseball list and the NFHS National Record Book. His teams have an Iowa best of 9 summer state championships which was equaled by Assumption, Davenport this past season. His 9 summer state titles are the best of any Iowa coach.

He took the Hawks to 19 summer state tournaments and 16 championship games, both Iowa bests for a coach or a school. Their 32 summer state tournament wins (32-10) is also an Iowa best, for a school or a coach. In addition, his teams won two Fall State Championships and finished runner-up twice.

His teams were noted for playing opponents in all four of Iowa’s class structure and would travel extensively to compete against the top teams. He had a hand in overseeing a revitalization of their home diamond, Shooky Fink Field, turning it into one of the marquee sites for high school baseball.

Schultz also coached boys’ basketball at Kee, registering 398 victories.

(Bud Legg, IHSAA)