While the next head coach of Adel-Desoto-Minburn Tigers varsity softball is unknown at this time, the state of the program appears brighter than ever. Last week, Rick Dillinger announced to ADM Community Schools that he’s stepping down as the Tigers varsity softball and girls basketball coach for a chance to join the University of Iowa Hawkeye Womens Softball program. The decision comes after Dillinger’s best season as head coach of ADM Softball, leading the squad to a 35-8 overall record and a second-place finish in the Class 4A State Tournament last month. Dillinger said while the future of ADM softball’s bright, this opportunity with the Hawkeye Softball team is one he couldn’t pass up. “It’s an opportunity I’ve never tried, so I thought why not; (My family)’s excited about it, to be honest,” Dillinger said, “The next person that takes on ADM Softball, the cupboard isn’t bare by any means. We left a team that went to the state finals, was the state runner-up, and is only graduating one girl.”

Dillinger also says there are several junior high players he’s very high on that’ll impact ADM Softball the next few seasons as well. He took over the Tigers softball program in 2014, making a 19 win improvement in his first summer. Dillinger posted a record of 142 wins and 47 losses in five seasons as the Tigers varsity softball coach. Altogether he’s coached 1,729 high school softball games in 42 seasons at Danville, North Polk, and ADM Community Schools, winning nearly 68 percent of those contests.