High School Baseball Coaches Association Recognition
The Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA) presented Gary Nyhus (Iowa State University, 1968) and his wife, Sandy, with the President’s Award in early 2020.
Nyhus and his wife are retired teachers. Gary taught math at Newman High School in Mason City, Iowa for 38 years and Sandy taught French at Clear Lake High School in Clear Lake, Iowa for 35 years. They currently live in Clear Lake, Iowa. They both grew up in Mason City, Iowa where they attended the same high school and they both graduated from Iowa State University.
Nyhus retired from coaching baseball with a 628-165 won-lost record, 20 consecutive conference titles, four trips to the State Tournament final four, including a state championship in 1998. He coached two All-Star Series, was District Coach of the Year 10 times and was named State Coach of the Year in 1990 and 1998. Nyhus was inducted into the IHSBCA Hall of Fame in 1997 and inducted into the National High School Coaches Association National Hall of Fame in 2000.
Nyhus and his wife have been on the staff of the annual baseball clinic for 25 years. Each January about 500 coaches attend the event. Nyhus and his wife are part of a 12-person team that arranges every phase of the event. They pre-register and welcome the attendees, arrange meals, lodging, speakers, a formal banquet and arrange for 20 vendors to show their wares.
Not only do Nyhus and his wife, Sandy, coordinate the annual baseball clinic, they also have also been on the staff of the annual All-Star Series for 25 years. Each August, they are part of a staff of 12 that welcome 16 high school seniors and three coaches each from four different areas of the state to participate in the four-day event. There are two games each day. They make arrangements for a total of 64 seniors, 12 coaches and 12 staff members in terms of housing, meals, a formal banquet, all aspects of playing the game such as umpires, announcers, field preparation and selling tickets to the fans.
In addition to their dedication to the IHSBCA, Nyhus and his wife are also very involved with their community. Their activities include volunteering for Hospice of North Iowa, MercyOne, Central Gardens, Reading Buddies, Pen Pals, Newman Foundation, Arts Center, Zion Endowment and the Apple Valley Assisted Living.