Tracking The Biggest NCAA Women’s Volleyball Coaching Changes

Tracking The Biggest NCAA Women’s Volleyball Coaching Changes

A rundown of the top NCAA Division I women's volleyball coaching changes and job openings.

Dec 19, 2017 by Megan Kaplon
Tracking The Biggest NCAA Women’s Volleyball Coaching Changes

Every year, at the conclusion of the season, or sometimes even before, coaches retire, resign, or are pushed out of their positions, leading to some interesting new hires and coaching shuffles.

Last year, John Dunning’s retirement started a domino effect that led to Kevin Hambly leaving Illinois for the Farm, Chris Tamas departing the Nebraska bench for Hambly’s job in Champaign, and John Cook having to hire a whole new group of assistants.

The biggest news — by far — in the aftermath of the 2017 season, is the dismissal of 17-year USC head coach Mick Haley, despite the Trojans going 25-10 this season and being only a couple of points away from a Final Four berth.

According to an article on VolleyballMag.com, Haley is not leaving on his own terms, and will be filing an age-discrimination complaint against the university.

USC canceled Haley’s current contract, which was supposed to run through June 2018.

Haley isn’t the only Power Five coach out of a job, however. Four SEC programs are on the hunt for new leadership, as well as one in the Big Ten, one in the Big 12, and one in the ACC.

Here’s the rundown of top job openings.

Texas A&M

Laurie Corbelli spent 25 seasons at Texas A&M and accumulated a 519-252 record in College Station; however, this season, her Aggies went 10-15 and placed ninth in the SEC with a 7-11 league record. It was only Corbelli’s third losing season at A&M.

At the conclusion of the season, Corbelli announced her resignation.

The rumor we’re hearing is that Laura Kuhn, an assistant at Kansas since 2011, will be the new head coach; however, A&M has yet to make an official announcement.

Oklahoma

Santiago Restrepo coached at Oklahoma for 14 years before his resignation was announced on November 28. With a 242-192 overall record, Restrepo took the Sooners to the NCAA tournament eight times in nine years from 2006 to 2014.

Oklahoma finished the 2017 season 7-22, the Sooners’ third losing season in a row, and third consecutive year they did not make the NCAA tournament.

Tennessee

Two weeks after the conclusion of his 21st season at the helm of the Tennessee volleyball program, Rob Patrick announced his resignation. Patrick accumulated a 409-250 record in Knoxville, and is the program’s all-time wins leader.

This season the Vols went 12-15, Patrick’s fifth losing season at UT. In his 21 seasons, Patrick took Tennessee to the NCAA tournament nine times, including five straight from 2008 to 2012. In 2004, Patrick’s Vols won the SEC, and the next year they made it all the way to the NCAA semifinals.

Second-year assistant coach A.J. Bonetti was named interim coach while the Tennessee athletic department decides who will take the reins for the 2018 seasons.

South Carolina

The South Carolina athletic administration didn’t even wait for the end of the season to fire head coach Scott Swanson; his dismissal was announced on October 4.

In his seven seasons with the program, Swanson accrued a 101-99 overall record, 35-80 in the SEC, and never led the team to the NCAA postseason.

Swanson’s assistant coach Dottie Hampton took over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season, while former Gamecock star Shonda Cole was promoted to associate head coach.

After Swanson’s dismissal, South Carolina went 3-12 for the remainder of the season, finishing 12-18 for the year, 5-13 in conference. The Gamecocks tied with Tennessee for second-to-last place in the SEC standings.

South Carolina said it is still interviewing candidates.

Indiana

After her 11th season at Indiana, Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan’s contract was not renewed.

She leaves the program with a 275-217 overall record. In 2017, the Hoosiers went 12-20, 1-19 in the Big Ten, beating only Rutgers in five sets. In Dunbar-Kruzan’s 11 seasons at Indiana, the Hoosiers only made the NCAA tournament once, in 2010. That year, the team made it to the Sweet 16.

Senior women’s administrator Mattie White is overseeing the hiring process, while assistant coach Paul Koncir is serving as interim head coach and Jason Oliver remains as an assistant.

Indiana graduates only two players from its 2017 roster and has three committed incoming freshmen, including a middle blocker ranked in the top 100 players in the class.

Boston College

Boston College head coach Chris Campbell resigned from his post at the conclusion of the 2017 season after finishing every one of his eight seasons with the program below .500.

Campbell leaves BC with an 73-176 overall record; however, even before Campbell took over the program in 2010, Boston College struggled, and the Eagles have never had a winning season since joining the ACC in 2005.

Assistant coach Allison Keeley is serving as interim head coach until the athletic department makes a permanent hire.

Mississippi State

After only three years at Mississippi State, David McFatrich handed in his resignation just days following the conclusion of the 2017 regular season. McFatrich went 41-56 in Starkville, with his first season being his best. That year, 2015, the team went 17-15, marking Mississippi State’s first winning season since 2006.

In 2016, however, the team dropped below .500 again, going 14-18, and then in 2017, the team only won one match in the SEC conference and went 10-23 overall.