Prep baseball: Kiefer resigns at Newport Harbor

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - Jim Kiefer, who took a grass roots approach in

trying to make the Newport Harbor High baseball program more competitive,

resigned Monday after six seasons as the Sailors coach.

Kiefer, a former physical education teacher who began teaching math

this fall, said his desire to supplement his education, in hopes of

enhancing his earning capabilities as a teacher, led to his decision to

step down.

“There’s some course work I need to complete to get a full math

credential and I plan to start on my master’s degree next spring,” said

Kiefer, whose teams went 46-97-2, 18-74 in the rugged Sea View League. “I

was going to try to swing it to where I could still coach, but it has

become clear I will no longer be able to devote the kind of time it takes

to run a program.

“Part of me is excited, because, when you’re a head coach, you

sacrifice a lot personally. My education is important to me and I look

forward to bettering myself as a teacher. I’ve spent a lot of time trying

to make the baseball program more reputable and a lot of time working

with youth baseball in the area. It’s hard to leave that behind, but it

was a tough decision I had to make. I think this decision is in the best

interests of me and the program. Now, they can find someone who can

devote the kind of time the program needs.”

Kiefer, who has also been an assistant football coach with the

freshman team at Harbor, said he will close out the current season in

that role. He said he did not rule out a return to coaching in the

future, but that probably would not be at Newport Harbor.

“Baseball is my passion and my goal is to continue to coach,” Kiefer

said. “But my No. 1 priority is teaching math and improving my education,

which may lead to something down the road. I have to take a step back to

take a step forward.”

Forward progress was illusive at Harbor, where the baseball team has

not been to the playoffs since 1989 and athletes often choose to compete

in other spring sports, such as volleyball and track and field.

In an attempt to change that trend, Kiefer reached out to the youth

programs, holding clinics for players and coaches in hopes of expanding

the Harbor program’s profile among prospective future players.

“For the better part of four or five years, that went really well,”

Kiefer said. “But (participation) kind of tailed off this past year.”

Though victories came sparingly, Kiefer said he is grateful to his

players and his coaching colleagues for all they have given him.

“Being 25 years old and having a chance to run your own program and

work with kids of all different ages has been a tremendous experience for

me,” he said. “Being surrounded by a first-class coaching staff at

Newport, I’ve learned so much from Jeff Brinkley, Dan Glenn, Bill

Barnett, Bim Barry, Eric Tweit and Larry Hirst. They are all great guys

who do a great job with their programs and they’ve shared much more with

me than friendship.”

Kiefer said the 1999 season, in which the Tars won the season series

from Santa Margarita, beat El Toro, and contended for a CIF playoff berth

into the final week of the regular season, is among the highlights of his

coaching tenure.

He also said working with Joe Urban and Charlie Waite, who went on to

play collegiately at Iowa State and Mississippi, respectively, was

extremely rewarding.