Tom Zindars is the new PHS girls softball coach.
Tom Zimdars thought he was done with coaching girls softball following the 2020 season following three years as varsity coach at West De Pere High School. He left coaching and started officiating football and softball. He didn’t think anything could pull him from retirement — until now.
Zimdars will take over the Pulaski High School girls softball program this spring. He succeeds Emily Higgins who coached for one season after she replaced longtime coach Billi Vertz.
Zimdars has a long history with the PHS softball program starting out as a youth coach in the 1990s. That’s where he became enthusiastic about coaching. Later, he was an assistant coach for PHS and then he coached varsity softball at Green Bay East for 13 years compiling a record of 164-108 and West De Pere, 34-9.
“I came back because it was Pulaski softball,” he said, noting that he’s seen the program up close as an umpire the past few years and liked what he saw – a successful program with lots of community support.
The fact that assistant coaches Jenn Heck and Mallory Lichon are returning and Vertz continues to work with the pitchers was another draw for him.
Zimdars likes to have fun and joke around, but once the first pitch is thrown, he’s all business. “I expect us to compete and be successful. I can't see us not being successful,” he said.
Pulaski High School athletic and activities director Janel Batten is thrilled to have Zimdars join the PHS coaching staff.
“Tom has varsity coaching experience at several schools and was even an assistant at Pulaski years back. Coach Zimdars has had great success in leading softball programs in the past and we are excited to have him lead this program.”
Zimdars, a native of Leopolis, a small town near Marion, lives in Sobieski with his wife of 41 years, Karla. The couple have two sons and a daughter who graduated from PHS. He’s a sales rep for Bayside Printing.