Before accepting the open boys’ varsity coaching position at Adel-Desoto-Minburn Community Schools earlier this month, Jesse Hunt built a premier girls track and field program at neighboring Waukee High School over the past decade. Since 2009, the Lady Warriors won eight Central Iowa Metropolitan League championships, nine Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union’s Regional Championship, and won the Class 4A state championship six times under Hunt’s coaching including each of the last three seasons. The Raccoon Valley Radio Network spoke with Hunt on the phone Tuesday afternoon about several topics surrounding his hiring at ADM. He credits the Waukee School District for having fundamental pieces in place for the squad to be successful right away like facilities and personnel. Another part of Waukee’s success in girls track and field came from Hunt’s core values he established while studying other winning programs in sports and business. “A few years back I really studied Bosie State Football, Butler Basketball some of these programs that have crazy obscurity or Fortune 500 companies,” Hunt said, “What makes these companies or programs tick? Whats the fiber that holds them together?”

The end product of Hunt’s research into successful companies and sports programs was what he called ‘The Warrior Seven’ the core values of the Lady Warriors Track and Field program. At the top of the list is Servant Leadership. “What it takes to be a servant and what it takes to understand that you have to sacrifice the me for the we, ” Hunt said, “You got to take an approach that no task is too small, but no challenge is too big.”

Hunt’s other core values include United in Purpose, Integrity, Attitude, Effort, Toughness, and Track and Field Intelligence. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that his core values will come with him to ADM but will be named something other than the Warrior Seven. Hunt takes over the ADM boys track and field program for recently retired boys track and football coach Mike Whisner.