By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
SUAMICO – It’s the end of an era at Bay Port High School.
Longtime varsity baseball coach Mike Simoens has stepped down as the head coach of the Pirates.
A career at Bay Port that lasted 26 years, Simoens had a career mark of 444-185.
“It’s been a very rewarding career, but as they say, everything comes to an end,” said Simoens. “I’ve been thinking about it for a few years now – I’ve been in it for a long time. I’ve enjoyed the experience, but it’s time to move on and let someone else enjoy the fruits of our hard work.”
The Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association coach of the year in 2010, Simoens helped lead the Pirates to consecutive WIAA Division 1 state titles in 2009-10, a state runner-up in 2012, 10 conference titles, 20 regional titles and 11 state appearances.
“Obviously, our two state titles come to mind,” Simoens said about his favorite highlights. “Winning our first conference title and making it to the state tournament in 1998 was also very special. For many years, we’d make it to the state tournament and not win a game. So, 2005 is also special because it was the first time we won a game at state. Every step of the way was special.”
Simoens, a math/computer science high school teacher at Bay Port, said he plans to teach one or two more years and then spend more time with his family.
“Before I retire from teaching, I wanted to wind down a little bit,” he said. “I have three grown children [Drew, Ryan and Meghan] that live out or state or the country, so my wife Beth and I want to travel more often to see them. I’m sure Howard-Suamico/Green Bay will always be our home base.”
With coaching for so many years, Simoens said the memories are abundant, so he will miss coming to the ballpark.
“I’ll definitely miss the camaraderie with the coaching staff and players,” he said. “That was the easy part of coming back every year. I will also miss all the families that were involved in the program over the years. Our Florida spring break trips were always fun, too.”
Simoens said he wants to be remembered as a hard-working coach that was never about winning conference titles or state-tournament games.
“When I first started this, I wanted to put together a quality program,” said Simoens. “I wanted our parents and community to be proud of our kids and program. I think we accomplished that.”