Coach Steve Baas Announces Retirement

January 7, 2025

Alleman, IA —After an illustrious and dedicated career in coaching, including 32 years coaching high school baseball and 27 in volleyball, Steve Baas has announced his retirement from coaching. Baas leaves behind a lasting impact and a legacy of leadership, mentorship, and success spanning decades in athletics and public education.

Coach Baas’ coaching career began in 1980 while student teaching at Dowling High School, where he was an assistant coach for football, basketball, and baseball programs. Early in his career, he learned from some of the best mentors, which set the stage for his own success as a coach. 

After graduating, Baas started teaching Physical Education and coaching baseball at St. Pius X and Ballard-Huxley High Schools.

In 1983, he was named the Varsity baseball coach at Ballard, leading the team to a Heart of Iowa Conference title and a #6 state ranking in 1985. But it was his time at Dowling Catholic High School that would solidify his legacy.

In 1986, Steve returned to Dowling High School as an assistant coach and program pitching coach. Steve coached a total of twenty-seven years within the Dowling baseball program as the program achieved tremendous success. In total, Steve’s thirty-two years of coaching high school baseball culminated with assisting in four Iowa High School baseball championships, (1988, 1989, 1999, and 2001), as the pitching coach for Dowling High School Maroons. Steve was also honored by being nominated four times for Assistant High School Baseball Coach of the Year. Steve resigned from DCHS in 2006 but continued coaching baseball as a volunteer Varsity pitching coach with the Waukee Warriors baseball program. The previously lackluster Waukee baseball program “turned the corner” and qualified for the state baseball tournament three of the four years Steve assisted as the pitching Coach, including 123 wins during that stretch.

Baas returned to Dowling in 1986, spending 27 years as an assistant and pitching coach. During his tenure, the Maroons excelled compiling four state championships (1988, 1989, 1999, and 2001). Baas' pitching expertise was integral to the team’s success, helping develop some of the best pitchers in Iowa. He was nominated four times for Assistant Coach of the Year during this period.

Throughout his career, Baas earned a reputation for building and revitalizing programs. He took on a major rebuilding project at Waukee, where he helped turn around the baseball program and led the Warriors to three state tournament appearances over four years. In volleyball, Baas inherited a struggling program at Dowling Catholic in 1998. By 2003, the team achieved a school-record 32-8 record, finishing #7 in the state.

At North Polk, Steve Baas' leadership significantly transformed the volleyball program. Hired in 2018 as an Assistant Coach, Steve, with grandkids in the district, saw this role as a way to contribute to their growth and education. In 2019, he was appointed Varsity Volleyball Coach and quickly turned the program into a powerhouse, leading the Comets to 150 wins over six years. His success was driven by a clear vision to expand the Comet Volleyball Club, enhance year-round training with dedicated assistant coaches, and increase athlete participation across five levels. This effort also grew off-season opportunities and fostered the continuous development of talented athletes.

Coach Baas' leadership was key to the volleyball program's smooth transition from the 3A Heart of Iowa Conference to the 4A Raccoon River Conference. Under his guidance, the Comets won back-to-back Raccoon River Conference championships in 2022 and 2023, including an undefeated 8-0 record in 2022. He was named Raccoon River Conference Coach of the Year in 2022.

In addition to the program’s success, one of the most meaningful aspects of Coach Baas’ time at North Polk was the opportunity to coach his granddaughter. Throughout her high school career, she earned 1st Team All-Conference RRC honors twice and was a key member of the undefeated 2022 RRC championship team.

Over the years, he guided teams to multiple regional finals, state tournaments, and championships in both sports. Some of the standout moments include:

• Four state championships at Dowling Catholic (1988, 1989, 1999, and 2001) as a pitching coach.
• Two regional championships and state tournament appearances at Waukee, where Baas helped turn the program around as an assistant coach, helping to turn Waukee into a perennial State contender.
• Two conference volleyball championships at North Polk (2022 and 2023), including an undefeated 8-0 record in the Raccoon River Conference in 2022.
• Three regional finals appearances at North Polk, including back-to-back regional final appearances in 2022 and 2023.

Additionally, Baas coached hundreds of players who went on to play collegiate baseball and volleyball, with approximately 20 athletes continuing their careers at the professional baseball level. 

Looking back on his extensive coaching career, Baas reflected on the common thread that tied together the various head coaching roles he had undertaken. “Each of these programs needed to be improved,” he said. “Whether it was building a program from the ground up, rebuilding a struggling team, or giving a stagnant program a fresh start, I knew that energy, perception, and culture were crucial to success.”

Baas emphasized that while each role brought unique challenges, the solutions were often the same. “A lot of the deficiencies I encountered were related to organization, direction, commitment, and excitement. My approach was always to ‘hook’ athletes at a younger age, recruit dedicated coaches who shared the same vision, and provide athletes with year-round developmental opportunities. Creating a positive and energetic atmosphere around the program was key to building momentum.”

Final Remarks from Coach Baas

"I would like to thank the North Polk High School administration for the opportunity to coach in this district," Coach Baas said. "Furthermore, I would like to thank each of the three Activities Directors I have worked with, Rob Sinclair, Reese Satre, and Matt Eichhorn, for their unwavering support. Always, GO COMETS!”