Dedra ‘DK’ Basham Adler was a standout player for the Lady Cougars in the late 90s before playing college basketball in Illinois. She was head coach of the Russellville Lady Panthers from 2005-13. In the previous five years, the program had suffered a record of 23 wins and 98 losses. They had not been to region in seven years.
In her first year as head coach, the Lady Panthers had a winning record, were Class A Regional Runner-up and advanced to the KHSAA regional tournament. She also reinstituted a girls Jr. Pro basketball program and the Lady Panthers were always competitive during her tenure.
In the six years since she resigned that position, she has taught at LCHS and supported her family’s sports achievements. Her daughter, Brea Croslin, is about to enter her eighth season as a varsity softball starter and is headed to the University of Illinois to play Big 10 softball. DK’s husband, Todd Adler, was state football coach of the year two seasons ago and his Cougars were named Team of the Year.