June 8, 2023 at 1:08 p.m.
DeMeyer steps down as RHS softball coach
DeMeyer steps down as RHS softball coach
Coach D.J. DeMeyer announced during Sunday's season-ending banquet that he is stepping down as head coach of the program, effective immediately. DeMeyer, whose daughter Addi was one of three seniors on this year's squad, told the River News following the banquet that the time was right to make a change.
"As I thought about it, and talked to my wife, (it came down to) what do I want to do," he said. "My daughter's lucky enough to have the opportunity to play in college (at UW-River Falls) and, other than summer ball, I don't get to be the dad. I'm always the coach. Even in summer ball, I was the coach one year. I just want to be the dad. I want to go and enjoy it and watch my daughter grow."
DeMeyer ends with an 85-87 career record at RHS, which included a 10-14 mark this year - the program's most successful season since 2019.
DeMeyer's teams reached the regional finals in four consecutive years at the start of his tenure, from 2015-2018, and the Hodags won at least one playoff game every year under DeMeyer except for 2022, when an injury-decimated squad went 4-17.
"At the end of every season, it seemed like our girls were always better than the beginning of the year," RHS activities director Brian Paulson said. "That showed this year, winning a couple of games down the stretch."
The Hodags closed this season by winning four of their final seven games, including a 1-0 win over Lakeland in the GNC finale and a 1-0 win over Shawano to start the WIAA tournament. Rhinelander pushed top-seeded Medford to the brink, falling 3-2 in nine innings in the regional finals.
"The only thing that would have been better was if we beat them but, for my last game, I have no qualms about it," DeMeyer said.
Paulson said that the coaching vacancy was expected to be posted both internally at the School District of Rhinelander as well as externally by the end of the week.
"It will be going out to the community and all the in-house (staff)," he said. "We're going to post on our social media page to get a candidate pool together to be able to start interviewing for our next head coach. Softball's got a great opportunity for the future. Whoever the next head coach is, there's definitely some good talent coming up."
DeMeyer said his only hope is that whoever is named as his replacement continues to move the program forward.
"I think I'm leaving the program on an uptick. Whoever the next person is, I want them to take it to another level. That's all I want, success," he said.
Equally important to his time in the dugout, DeMeyer served as a driving force to help improve softball facilities in Rhinelander during his tenure. He helped to secure funding for additional fields and after a couple of failed attempts was finally able to help get the Haug Family Softball Complex built behind the Hodag Dome on the campus at RHS. Those fields held youth games last summer and their first high school contests this spring.
During the banquet, assistant softball coach Clara Groskopf said "a star was born" with the new fields, thanks to DeMeyer's efforts.
"Not only did we get two new fields, we got space in the dome. I think we huge debt of gratitude for D.J. and what he's done for the softball program," she said.
"There were a lot of positives that came out of that," Paulson added Monday in a phone conversation with the River News. "The vision that he had and all the belief came true. It's been a great opportunity for our community."
It was noted during the banquet, that money raised through Hodag Fastpitch from fundraisers and tournaments will be invested back into the facilities, with $23,000 earmarked for a new batting cage to be located between the fields at the Haug Complex.
"I just asked the right person to back me, and that guy was Tim Musson," DeMeyer demurred regarding his role in the facilities upgrades. "In the overall scheme, it worked out really well and I'm really proud of that. I did do some help, but Dave Heck did all the help, I can't take anything from him. Maybe I planted a seed in a certain couple people, but the community really came together for that big project."
In announcing the move, DeMeyer initially said "resigned" before correcting himself and saying "retired." That drew a quip from volunteer assistant coach Elmer Suess, who is still helping the team following two stints as the Hodags' head coach. DeMeyer said he still expect to be a frequent visitor to the diamond, and would not rule out helping in some capacity down the road.
"There are some things I want to do," he said. "I enjoy golfing and I've given that up really quite extensively the last three or four years. In the winter, I like to shoot pool competitively and I want to get better at that. I think I just want to take a couple of years for myself."
DeMeyer said he will miss the friendships he developed - both with coaching colleagues around the GNC as well with parents. Most importantly, he said he would miss the players.
"When you teach them something, make a subtle adjustment and they see success with it, the smile on their face is awesome," he said. "Whether it's just getting on first base, hitting that double, making a catch. The smile on kids' faces, that I'll miss a lot."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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