Baseball Coach Resigns at Newport Harbor

Wayne Heck, who coached the Newport Harbor High School baseball team for the past 6 years, has resigned from that position.

Heck, 40, owner of a Newport Beach ice cream shop, said growing family and business responsibilities led to his decision.

“I have a 15-month-old baby now, and I own my own business,” Heck said. “The time it (coaching) took away from that was getting to be too much.”

Heck took over the Sailor program in 1982. Before that, Newport Harbor had 5 coaches in 5 years. Heck led the Sailors to a 17-9 record and the Southern Section quarterfinals in 1985, where they lost to eventual champion Diamond Bar.

Last year, Newport Harbor finished 6-18.

“I’m going to miss it,” he said. “I love it. . . . But I’ve been thinking of resigning for the last year and a half since we had the baby. It was a bittersweet decision.”