Dustin Rhoads named NFHS Iowa Girls Tennis Coach of the Year
Ames High tennis coach Dustin Rhoads was named the National Federation of High School (NFHS) Coaches Association’s Iowa Girls Tennis Coach of the Year. Rhoads was specifically nominated by the Iowa High School Athletic Association as the most deserving recipient for this honor. This recognition honors coaches for significant achievement in their sport, lifetime community involvement, school involvement, and philosophy of coaching.
The criteria for selecting nominees are coaching background & experience, career successes, involvement in coaches’ organizations, past coaching honors received, involvement in community service clubs & organizations, involvement in school, implementation of innovative programs for athletes, and philosophy of co-curricular athletics.
Rhoads has been coaching the Ames High girls tennis program since 2016, and the boy’s tennis program since 2018. During that time, Coach Dustin Rhoads has numerous accomplishments including multiple district and conference championships, state appearances, and a girl’s state title in 2019.
Ames High Athletic Director Judge Johnston said that Rhoads “has helped raise the bar for the Ames High tennis program.” He went on to say that Rhoads “has been a staple of Ames High Athletics, and over his tenure of coaching the girl’s & boy’s tennis teams he has raised the bar of excellence for the programs.”
“I am very humbled and honored to receive this award. This means a lot to me, and is not just an award for me, but for everyone who has been involved with the Ames High Tennis Programs and our success,” said Rhoads. “My goal when I took over the tennis programs was to maintain and push forward the tradition of excellence that was created by past coaches, and to bring as many trophies and banners as possible back to Ames.”
Girls Tennis Head Coach (2016-2019)
- 55-7 Record Coaching the Girls
- 2019 Des Moines Register Girls Tennis Coach of the Year
- 2019 Girls Tennis Team State Champions – 16-0
- 2019 & 2018 CIML Conference Champions
- 2018 Girls Tennis Team State Runner-Up
- 4 – Team State Tennis Tournament Appearances – 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
- 3 – Team State Final 4 Finishes – 2017, 2018, 2019
- 14 – Individual State Qualifiers
- 8 – Individual State Qualifiers that have Top 8 Finishes
- 3 – First Team All-State Tennis Player Selections
- Coached the 2019 Coed Doubles State Champions
- Coached the 2019 Girls Singles State Runner-Up
Boys Tennis Head Coach (2018-2019)
- 23-7 Record Coaching the Boys
- 2 – District Team Champions – 2018 & 2019
- 2 – Team State Tennis Tournament Appearances – 2018 & 2019
- 6 – Individual State Qualifiers
- 3 – Individual State Qualifiers that have Top 8 Finishes
- 2 – First Team All-State Tennis Player Selections
- Coached the 2018 Boys Singles State Champion & State Player of the Year