A Waukee graduate will try his hand at leading the Adel-Desoto-Minburn Tigers girls basketball team this winter. The ADM School District is giving Jacob Cleveland control of the Tiger hoops program pending approval at the district’s October 8 school board meeting. Cleveland played varsity basketball at Waukee, helping the Warriors to the 2000 state tournament appearance. He returned Waukee last winter as an assistant coach of the Warriors girls basketball program. Cleveland said he’s always had respect for ADM’s sports community. “I graduated from Waukee in 2000, I played in the Raccoon River Conference,” Cleveland said, “Adel is a special place. Being the county seat, the birthplace of Nile Kinnick, the brick road, ( all of it makes it) a special community.”

Cleveland, the varsity boys basketball coach at Des Moines East from 2014-2017, saw Rick Dillinger’s resignation in July as an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. “To me, it’s a dream job,” Cleveland said, “It’s got everything I want with academics, community support, all of that.”

Cleveland shared with Raccoon Valley Radio he was in attendance of ADM’s last two home football games and raved about the support from Ambush Nation. Once approved next Monday, Cleveland will have 42 days to work with the ADM girls basketball team before they open their season November 19 against the Norwalk Warriors. The Tigers are coming off a 9-14 campaign last winter.