Larry Niemeyer announced Tuesday that he has resigned as girls basketball coach at Jefferson High School.

Niemeyer, 74, told The Gazette and KCRG that he was stepping down after 34 years at Jefferson, where his teams compiled a 537-261 mark, including a state title in 1993. He also coached at Adel and has a 52-year career mark of 871-352. The 871 wins rank third in state history behind Gene Klinge and Bob Mullen.

Niemeyer said he was unsure if he would coach elsewhere next season.

While there had been speculation that this would be Niemeyer's last with the J-Hawks, the timing of his announcement - one day after the team's postseason banquet - caught some of his players off guard.

"I'm kind of speechless," junior Rachel Broghammer said. "There's been rumors about it for a while. He's been a big part of the Jefferson coaching staff for so long.

"You could tell something was going on. Coach wasn't himself. Because he didn't announce it last night, all of us assumed that everything would be fine."

The J-Hawks were 9-14 this past season, but the cupboard is not bare for the next coach. They lost three starters to injuries during the season - Brghammer, Taylor Jacobson and Kaitlyn Davidson - but did not have any seniors. Junior post Maddie Koolbeck developed into a unanimous all-conference and all-Metro performer and was named third team all-state by the Iowa Girls Coaching Association.

Niemeyer told The Gazette that he chose to leave at this time because "I don't want to be one of those guys who left the cupboard bare for the next guy."

"We're ready for whatever is going to be thrown at us," Broghammer said.

Niemeyer said he would continue to coach the Jefferson softball team this summer. He has the most wins of any prep softball coach in the nation with a 51-year record of 2,053-423.