'Sand through the hourglass'

 WAUKON -- His contract not renewed, Gene Klinge didn't fight it.

"This came as a surprise to me," he said. "But it's probably time. I've been around too damn long anyway."

The winningest coach in Iowa girls' high school basketball history, Klinge submitted his resignation at Waukon High School on Monday morning.

In 52 seasons (41 at West Central, 11 at Waukon), Klinge, 77, compiled a record of 1,009-252. He took 16 teams to the state tournament, and led Waukon to the Class 3A championship in his first year there, in 2004.

"Gene always got the most out of his talent," said West Delaware Coach Harold Shepherd, who now becomes the state's active leader in wins. "When he coached six-on-six, his guards were as good as any. And if he had any talent at all in the post, she was going to be the best around."

Waukon Athletics Director Jennifer Garin would not comment on the decision not to renew Klinge's contract, but said, "He has left behind a tremendous legacy. What he has done here, speaks for itself."

But, after only his third losing season of his career -- the Indians were 8-12 this winter -- it apparently was time to part ways.

"I was told that I don't relate to the girls any more," Klinge said. "I'm disappointed with how the administration handled it ..."But you know what? I'm proud of what we've done here. It's been a nice run."

Klinge's daughter, Vicki Born (who played for her father as a six-on-six forward at West Central in the 1980s), said, emotionally, that she was "still processing" the end of her father's career.

"It's really tough," she said. "It's gut-wrenching to think that this part of his life is over. He has touched so many girls over so many years.

"When somebody has success and puts so much of his life into it, it's tough. When it's your father ... it just really hurts."

A native of Monona and a graduate of Upper Iowa, Klinge began his career by following a legend in Mel Kupferschmid at West Central in 1962. He was 817-186 with 12 state appearances in 41 seasons at the Maynard-based school, then moved on to Waukon in 2003.

He was an instant winner there; the Indians won the first 52 games he coached. They went 28-0 in a rush to the 2004 3A title, then started 24-0 before bowing to MOC-Floyd Valley in the first round at state in 2005.

Klinge has dealt with health issues in recent years -- triple-bypass surgery on his heart, prostate cancer, lymphoma, constant pain in his hips and back.

"My health's not the greatest," he acknowledged Monday. "I can hardly get on and off the school bus anymore."

Waukon returned to state in 2009 (reaching the 3A semifinals) and advanced to the championship game in 2010 before falling to Sioux City Heelan.

The 2009-10 season also featured a milestone victory -- No. 939, against MFL MarMac at the U.S. Cellular Center, which made him Iowa's all-time wins leader.

Mary Halvorson was on that 2009-10 team, then went on to play at Coe College.

"My four years under Coach Klinge was even more than I could have hoped for," Halvorson said. "He made me a better athlete and a better person. He worked on more than just the game; he worked on the values of the game.

"That said ..."I can understand why (the administration) may have thought a change would be good. Coach isn't able to move as well as he was, and he should be able to enjoy the rest of his life," Halvorson said.

Klinge earned his 1,000th win on a bitterly cold night, Jan. 31, 2013, 88-60 over MFL MarMac.

"It's been a great ride, but coaching is a young man's sport, and I'm not a young man any more," Klinge said. "The sand has pretty much gone through the hourglass."