Danny Higginbotham, a native of Bedord, Texas, and a graduate of Arkansas Tech University (ATU), has been named the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator for the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) baseball program.
Higginbotham said the rich tradition of the DMACC baseball program is what led him to apply for the position.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to join this historic program," Higginbotham said. "I look forward to working with the coaching staff and players in pursuit of another great year."
Higginbotham will be in charge of the team's offense and will also focus on recruiting.
"The State of Iowa and this region have a tremendous amount of talented players so it's exciting to dive into recruiting in this area," Higginbotham said.
Before joining the DMACC baseball program, Higginbotham spent the last two seasons as a volunteer assistant at South Dakota State University (SDSU), where he worked with hitters, catchers and also coordinated baseball camps.
Before joining the SDSU baseball program, Higginbotham spent his five previous summers coaching in the Coastal Plain League. This past summer he led the Macon Bacon to their second consecutive playoff appearance and their first-ever appearance in the Pettit Cup Championship Series. The two previous summers (2016, 2017) he managed the Martinsville Mustangs and his his first summer he was the pitching coach for the Morehead City Marlins. During his tenure in the CPL, Higginbotham mentored 18 players who were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft and had accumulated more than 100 wins.
Higginbotham also served as an assistant coach at Iowa Central Community College (ICCC) before joining the SDSU baseball program. At ICCC, he worked with the catchers and hitters on a daily basis.
The Tritons went 38-16 and won the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XI championship during Higginbotham's season with them.
Higginbotham also spent two years with the ATU baseball program as a graduate assistant.
Higginbotham's playing career included two seasons as a catcher at ATU from 2009 to 2011. He earned Gulf South Conference academic honors in each of his three seasons at the school.
ATU went 88-65 during Higginbotham's three seasons with the program and earned bids to the Gulf South Conference Tournament in 2010 and 2011.
Higginbotham started his college baseball career at Howard College in Big Spring, Texas. He graduated from ATU with his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2011 and earned his Master of Science in College Student Personnel in 2016.