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General

Where Are They Now? David Dinger - Baseball

David Dinger was a catcher for the Lipscomb Bisons during the NAIA era. He served as a team captain for the baseball team and learned a great deal about coaching from Ken Dugan. David, an award winning high school teacher and coach, spent some time with Lipscombsports.com remembering his days on campus.
 

Name and sport played:
 
 David Dinger, Baseball
 
 
What years did you compete for Lipscomb and who coached you?
 
 1986-1987. I played for Ken Dugan and Al Austelle.
 
 
What teammates were most memorable, and why?
 
I was fortunate to have a lot of good teammates. Jim Bailey was my roommate for two years. We both came from junior colleges and loved to talk baseball. Derek Crownover was a great friend.  He loved to play the game. Had a lot of good times with Tommy Randolph, John McPherson , Mike Dugan, and Jon Williams. Danny Wilson was a great teammate that I keep in touch with. He's an outstanding coach in this area.
 
 
What degrees have you earned, from where, and when?
  • Associate Degree (Business Administration) from Cleveland State, 1985
  • Bachelor of Science (Math Education) from Tennessee Wesleyan, 1988
  • Masters of Education from Cumberland University, 2002
  • EDS in Leadership and Administration from Lincoln Memorial, 2012
 
 
Why did you attend Lipscomb?
 
Growing up and being a member of the Church, I'd always heard about Lipscomb Baseball. The program had such a great tradition and Coach Dugan was so highly respected. After my visit, I immediately knew where I wanted to go to school and who I wanted to play for.
 
 
What is your favorite athletic memory at Lipscomb?
 
The last two weeks of my senior season. We hadn't had a very good season. Our roster was low on numbers and we thought the last game of regular season was it. A lot of guys actually went home thinking the season was over. I remember coming back on Sunday night and finding out we were going to be the eighth seed in the district tournament. Some team from the East got beat unexpectedly and we were in.
 
We opened the tournament against No. 1 seed Carson Newman. Pitcher David Owen was the national player of the year and we won 3-1. We won three more consecutive games and the District Championship. We then participated in the area tournament where we won one and lost two. Tough year, but a great two weeks.
 
 
Who influenced your athletic career at Lipscomb?
 
Coach Dugan. I knew when I was there that I wanted to coach. I paid a lot of attention to him and how he did things. Coach Dugan was a great role model and ran a first class program. We were taken care of very well and he was fair to all of us. Many things I learned from him I have implemented in the teams I coached.
 
 
What do you remember about Lipscomb campus life during your time here?
 
I remember having chapel daily and eating a lot of meals in the dining hall. The campus always had a student friendly environment.
 
 
What are the most valuable lessons you learned in your time at Lipscomb?
 
I learned to manage my time being a student athlete. Had a lot of good times with my teammates and loved playing baseball, but the academics had to be taken care of first.
 
 
Who were your favorite professors and why?
 
Sadly, I don't remember many of my professors, it's been a long time. Tom Holland was a great teacher of the Bible, and I remember enjoying his class.
 
 
Where did you grow up?
 
I grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I attended Lookout Valley High School and played two years at Cleveland State Community College before transferring to Lipscomb.
 
 
Where do you live, and what do you do now?
 
I live in the same community that I grew up. In 1987, I left Lipscomb to coach football and baseball at Tennessee Wesleyan where I earned my bachelor's degree. The next year I became the head baseball coach at Boyd Buchannan.
 
After one year, I took a job at my alma mater Lookout Valley High School. I taught math and coached baseball, football and softball for thirty years. I retired from the state of Tennessee in 2019. I now teach math and coach baseball at Heritage High School in Ringgold, Georgia.
 
 
Tell us about your family:
 
I married my wife Mandy and her three children - Joey, Elizabeth, and Clayton in 1998. In 2000 we had our daughter Katie. She plays softball at Bryan College. We have five grandchildren - Brantley, Caroline. Claire, Baylor, and Baker.
 
 
 
FAST FINISH: 
  • Favorite food: BBQ
  • Favorite TV show or movie: College Football
  • Favorite Bible scripture: Ecclesiastes 9:10
  • Favorite sports team: Atlanta Braves
  • Pet peeve: When people say they "should've won"
  • Person I most admire: My parents; Rodger and Jean Dinger
  • Person I'd most like to meet: Lou Holtz
  • Rather ride or drive? Drive
  • Pick one – salad or dessert:  Salad
  • Dream vacation spot: Not big on vacations, would rather stay home and cookout with the family.
  • Early morning or late night person? Late night
  
 
If you wish contact David, you can do so by email: 
  • Email address: daviddinger12@gmail.com
 
 
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