Schlotterback out as Wash baseball coach

CEDAR RAPIDS - Byron Schlotterback will not coach the Cedar Rapids Washington baseball team this season, players throughout the program at all grade levels were told by Washington administrators Wednesday.

Source Media Group learned Wednesday that players were told assistant Brent Henry will coach the team, as Schlotterback is stepping down for personal reasons. Parents of Wash players said Schlotterback is "taking a one-year leave of absence from coaching and teaching duties in the Cedar Rapids Community School District."

Players have been told not to contact Schlotterback, who attended Monday's season-opening practice but not Tuesday's or Wednesday's.

A vocal music teacher at Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Schlotterback, 33, was entering his fourth season at Washington. He led the Warriors to a Mississippi Valley Conference championship and state tournament berth in 2009. Prior to coming to Washington, he had a successful record at Anamosa High School.

A call to Schlotterback was not returned Wednesday evening. Washington Athletics Director Paul James referred all questions to Marcia Hughes, the Community Relations Supervisor for the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

Hughes said Thursday that Schlotterback was on personal leave for an undetermined amount of time.

"I wish I could say more, but I can't," James said, when asked if Schlotterback officially had been replaced as coach.