Bret Hoyer had a big decision to make after his junior year at Wartburg College in 1986, a decision that would potentially affect the rest of his life.

Always a good math student, he was offered a summer internship with a firm in Minnesota that might lead to a lucrative career in the field of actuarial science. But also a good baseball player with a love for the game, he could start his coaching career that summer with a youth baseball team.

"I really wrestled with the decision, between actuarial science and teaching and coaching," he said Monday afternoon. "I had to decide: Should I go up there (to Minnesota) and go the actuarial route between my junior and senior year, or do I stay in Waverly and deliver pizzas and coach a 14-15 year old Babe Ruth team."

He chose the pizzas and baseball, steering him on a career path that saw him inducted into the Iowa Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Saturday night at the annual IBCA banquet at the Cedar Rapids Marriott.

Hoyer, 48, has compiled a 623-322-1 record in 24 years as a head coach, including a 559-284-1 mark in 21 years at Cedar Rapids Kennedy and a 64-38 record in three seasons at Iowa City Regina, where he played high school ball himself.

He's taken Kennedy to 11 state tournaments in 21 years, highlighted by the state title in 2010 and second-place finishes in 2002 and 2006. He also led Regina to the state tournament, giving him 12 trips in 24 years, and was named the Class 4A State Coach of the Year in 2010.

Hoyer is a math teacher at Kennedy and is happy he made the decision to become a teacher and coach.

"I think I made the right choice," he said. "It doesn't feel like work. It doesn't feel like I'm going to a job.

"I know some people dread their jobs, and I'm not one of those people. I really enjoy working with young people, both in the mathematics classroom and certainly coaching. It makes it awfully easy to get ou of bed in the morning and come to work."

Hoyer thanked all the assistant coaches, players, administrators, mentors, fellow coaches and family members who helped him along the way to the Hall of Fame. "It's obviously pretty humbling," he remarked.

Hoyer was joined in the new Hall of Fame class by Lon Olejniczak (player) from Decorah, Ed Sawvell (player) from Wilton, Dick Smith (coach) from Ogden High School and Roger Barr (umpire).