Dutch Heiderscheit is stepping down as the head baseball coach at John Marshall after 14 seasons on the job.

"I'm just nearing the end of my teaching career and I thought it would be a good time to step back and clear some things off my plate," Heiderscheit said.

Heiderscheit was also the coach of the Rochester Patriots American Legion baseball team in the summer. He is likely to give up that position as well.

"It's probably best to make a good, clean break," he said of coaching.

Heiderscheit had guided John Marshall to state baseball berths in 2006 and 2008. The Patriots earned an American Legion state berth this summer.

The native of New Albin, Iowa, is also the former head coach of the John Marshall girls basketball team, a position he held for more than a decade and gave up four years ago.

Heiderscheit coached basketball for about 30 years and was a baseball coach for 33, many of those both in the spring and summer.

"It's been quite a while," he said of coaching. "I'll do more watching now."

Heiderscheit, who will turn 57 in November, is a physical education teacher at Gibbs Elementary in Rochester. He is eligible to retire after another school year, but said he is likely to continue teaching.

"I'm just looking forward to not rushing out the door at the end of the day in the spring (for practice and games) and enjoying it more," he said. "I'd like to teach a few more years.

"I'd just like to thank the school for letting me do it," he said of coaching. "It was a lot of fun."

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