DeKALB – When spring rolls around, Jeff Davis will be in the same place he has been a head coach since 2005 – on the DeKalb High School diamonds.

Well, almost the same place – instead of the softball fields, Davis will take over as the baseball coach. The school board approved the longtime softball coach last week as the head baseball coach for the Barbs.

Davis leaves the softball team with a record of 233-175, a .571 winning percentage.

“They have been wonderful to me at any age level,” Davis said. “It’s been fantastic. There’s always been a lot of respect. We have had some good seasons and some not-so-good seasons, and those kids are always willing and eager to learn. ... All the kids and parents, and all the support they have given me, has been wonderful, and I’m thankful for that.”

Davis will have some work to do turning around the baseball program. The team has had three straight losing seasons, last finishing above .500 after a regional title in 2015. The Barbs also won a regional title in 2017 but finished the year 10-26.

Davis played baseball for DeKalb under Dave Pettengell and was an assistant coach for the Barbs for seven years before taking over the softball program.

“It wasn’t an easy decision. It truly wasn’t,” Davis said. “When they offered it, my question was that there’s a lot of things that need to be straightened out. I needed the administration behind me. I’m going to make a lot of people upset. Change has to happen. We’re going to come in and throw a lot of change at these kids and their parents, and they have to be willing to accept it.”

DeKalb athletic director Peter Goff said he and the search committee felt Davis was the best fit for the job.

“He has a plethora of experience at coaching,” Goff said. “We all know he’s been a great softball coach here, but when he first started here, he was a baseball coach. He played for Coach Pettengell and is a disciple of him.”

Goff added that Davis is a “proud Barb,” making him stand out.

“He played for this program and wants to bring it back to how it was under Pettengell,” Goff said. “He wants to reach back and bring the history and tradition of baseball and bring it back here.”

Davis said he tried to get back into coaching DeKalb baseball twice, last applying in 2010. After the second rejection, he felt frustrated.

“But it posted again, and I’m getting close to the end so I gave it one more shot,” Davis said. “And I got it. I couldn’t be more happy. I know it’s a big challenge, but it’s like when I took over softball. They were winning six, seven games a year. That’s the same state baseball is in now. I look at is as a challenge with my staff to put the program back on the map.”