Ankeny volleyball coach Dave Whims has retired again.
Whims, who came out of retirement to coach the Hawkettes for a second stint in 2019, said this time he won’t be coming back.
“I’ll do some consulting with coaches, and I’ll share videos and drills with them,” Whims said. “I think that’ll keep me busy. But as far as being a head coach somewhere, I don’t think that’s where I want to go. I want to have some weekends for my own. I don’t want to coach at that level anymore.”
Whims is the state’s all-time winningest coach with a record of 1,079-183. He took 24 teams to the state tournament, the most in Iowa volleyball history.
Whims coached at Ankeny for 18 years, guiding all but one of those teams to state. He led the Hawkettes to a mark of 603-91.
Whims coached Bedford to a state tournament trip before guiding six North Kossuth teams to state. After moving to Ankeny in 2000, he quickly built one of the state’s premier programs.
Whims won state titles in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009 while also earning four runner-up finishes. He retired after the 2014 season and was replaced by Joe Morton, who coached the Hawkettes for four seasons.
When Morton departed, Whims was re-hired by then-Ankeny Activities Director Brent Buttjer.
“When I took the position back, I told them that I would come in and mentor my assistant and maybe give it two or three years,” Whims said. “It was three years, so I felt this was a good time to step away. I think the program is pretty solid right now, and we have a great nucleus of kids coming in.”
Whims led Ankeny to state three more times and won another state title in 2020. He is tied for seventh all-time among coaches with his five crowns.
“It was an amazing three years,” Whims said. “It was lots of fun, and I’m bowing out with confidence that the program will continue to be successful.”
Whims has been inducted into multiple Halls of Fame, including the National High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He was the recipient of the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union’s Golden Plaque of Distinction Award.
Whims said he thinks his assistant, Sam Sheldon, would be a good candidate to replace him. She took over the program for awhile last season when Whims was battling a lengthy illness.
“I think I prepared her as well as I could and gave her some opportunities to take over the team,” Whims said. “I feel confident that she’s ready to do it.”
