Jack Dahm is excited about getting back in the game after sitting on the sidelines the past year.

Dahm, 47, has been named the new head baseball coach at Mount Mercy University. He succeeds Desi Druschel.

Dahm served as the head coach at the University of Iowa for 10 seasons from 2004 through 2013. Prior to that, he was the head coach at Creighton University for 10 years.

"I'm excited," he said Friday morning. "It's good to be back in the coaching mode. I missed the relationships with the players and helping kids. I knew I had to get back into it if the right opportunity came up."

Dahm also will be the Coordinator of Athletic Fundraising and will be heavily involved in raising money for Mount Mercy's new $15 million sports complex that will have facilities for baseball, softball, track and soccer. The facility is scheduled to open by June of 2017.

Dahm called Mount Mercy "a perfect fit" for him as a coach and an experienced fundraiser.

"I'm here to help the entire athletic department and the entire university," he said. "I think I can leave a mark. I want to leave a legacy at Mount Mercy, not only as a coach but also helping the athletic department grow."

Mount Mercy is an NAIA school. Dahm thinks the Mustangs will be able to host major NAIA tournaments once their new facility is built.

Dahm and his wife, Lynn, have three children. Casey just graduated from Iowa City West, where he's on the baseball team. He will be joining his father at Mount Mercy.

"He was my first commit," said Dahm. "I was hoping he wasn't going to say 'no' to me."

Dahm hopes to rebuild the Mount Mercy baseball program with local players.

"We want to start from within, without a doubt, and try to make it a place where kids from Cedar Rapids and Marion want to go to school," he said. "That's going to be very, very important."

Dahm plans to attend Iowa City West's games at Xavier High School tonight. By coincidence, Xavier High School has been Mount Mercy's home field the past few years and presumably will be until Mount Mercy builds its own field.

Dahm's official first day on the job at Mount Mercy will be June 22, but he's already been contacting recruits. "I promise you this: You'll see me out at games," he said.

Dahm and his family will continue to live in Coralville. His daughter, Lyndsey, will be a junior at Iowa City West this year. His son, Tyler, is heading into the seventh grade.