CHICAGO — After the NCAA modified the rule permitting volleyball groups to rent a 3rd paid assistant coach, Chris Tamas didn’t should look far for his new employees member.
The Illinois coach’s spouse, Jen (Joines) Tamas, has been a volunteer coach since 2017 and was a pure match to be elevated to full-time standing. She was a four-time All-American at Pacific, performed professionally for eight years and was the captain of the USA nationwide workforce for 4 years. She had additionally served as a volunteer coach throughout Chris’s stints as an assistant coach at Nebraska and Cal Poly.
Nonetheless, it wasn’t a shoo-in. He made her work for it a bit.
“I truly made her undergo the interview course of, simply so you realize. She handed the take a look at tremendously,” Chris Tamas mentioned Wednesday in the course of the Huge Ten volleyball media days. “She’s an incredible coach, and he or she was an incredible participant. It’s a kind of issues the place if I blindfold interviewed her, it will be her.”
Colleges across the Huge Ten took a number of approaches to the third assistant coach. Some added former gamers beginning their teaching careers, whereas others elevated volunteer coaches or different off-court employees members to assist with the elevated workload. Everybody agreed that it was a lot wanted and would assist the game.
Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield mentioned he was inspired to see each Huge Ten member decide to help a bigger employees. There may need been slightly wait-and-see early on, however any apprehension was rapidly eliminated.
“You make the choice that you just’re both all the best way in attempting to compete on the highest stage otherwise you’re going to scrimp. If you’re not all the best way in and also you’re gonna get left within the mud on this league and on this sport,” he mentioned. “As soon as a few faculties made the choice, we’re positively going to do that. Each coach is banging on their boss’s door, saying we’ve acquired to do it. Typically at most of those faculties, the bosses are already eager to run with it as a result of they’re their opponents as effectively.”
Penn State and Nebraska added program legends who’ve simply began their teaching journey. The Huskers added Jordan Larson, who’s working part-time now as she wraps up her nationwide workforce profession, whereas the Nittany Lions tabbed Megan Hodge Straightforward, a three-time nationwide champion.
PSU senior center blocker Allie Holland mentioned she’s counting the times till she will be able to work with Hodge Straightforward. She visited the workforce within the spring and left a great impression.
“Simply having one other Penn State icon in our gymnasium goes to be so useful to us,” Holland mentioned. “Having these feminine, sturdy athletes which have performed at Penn State, one right here with me (coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley) and likewise Megan, goes to be big.”
Former Minnesota libero CC McGraw joined the Louisville employees contemporary off wrapping up her enjoying profession. Her former Golden Gopher teammates had been enthusiastic about her new alternative.
“She’s an incredible human, tremendous simple to speak to. She’s nice with different individuals,” Minnesota setter Melani Shaffmaster mentioned. “She’s capable of coach as a result of she does perceive how the gamers are understanding a number of the data and what they really should be doing as a result of she lived it very lately. So I feel teaching is a superb match for CC.”
Rutgers added a lately retired males’s volleyball participant as its third assistant. Ryan Mather completed his enjoying season this previous weekend and formally began for the Scarlet Knights on August 1. He was an assistant at Lafayette School final season.
In the meantime, a number of different applications are sliding over individuals already on employees from behind-the-scenes roles onto the bench.
Indiana’s Brett Agne was the director of operations and now has the title of assistant coach and technical coordinator. Maryland is including Kyle Thompson to the teaching employees from his operations function. Thompson is presently with the USA U19 nationwide workforce on the World Championships in Croatia and also will assist with the Terrapins’ softball program.
Wisconsin is shifting over Annemarie Hickey, director of scouting and participant growth, to a training function.
Dave Shondell has had probably the most secure teaching staffs within the league, as John Shondell and Kathy Jewell have been on the Purdue employees for 19 years. Michael Bouril was elevated from an off-court place because the technical coordinator & efficiency analyst.
Whereas the employees make-up isn’t a big change due to eliminating the volunteer teaching place, Shondell mentioned it’s a great step ahead for the game.
“The distinction is you will have a volunteer coach for about one 12 months, they usually’re gone. They discover a actual paying job,” he mentioned. “It’s good to have some younger individuals in your program that may carry slightly extra power, slightly bit totally different look … I feel it’s nice to have that man that has an precise job, not a volunteer coach or not the analytics man, however he’s on the employees now. I’m actually glad that we acquired that coach. I feel it should profit a number of applications.”
Right here’s a roundup of what the seven groups who had been within the Huge Ten Community studios needed to say Wednesday:
Rutgers
2022 document, end: 8-24, 2-18 Huge Ten, 14th place
Coach Caitlin Schweihofer (79-121 profession document, 22-53 at Rutgers), sophomore outdoors hitter Taylor Humphrey, sophomore outdoors hitter Alissa Kinkela
What they mentioned:
“It was wonderful with the ability to journey out to the Olympic coaching middle in Colorado Springs and simply compete day-after-day with a number of the better of the perfect. It wasn’t unusual if we had been doing a passing drill to have an All-American subsequent to me, and that was simply actually eye-opening and a very thrilling alternative to have the ability to see the extent within the gymnasium and attempt to carry that again to the Rutgers gymnasium and simply elevate our workforce aggression and the way we performed. So it was a very wonderful expertise.”
— Humphrey on being a part of the primary group of Rutgers gamers chosen to a part of the USA Volleyball coaching program
“After I took this place, I had a really clear imaginative and prescient for the method that it was going to take as a way to construct this program into one thing that’s sustainably profitable. I happily had the chance to do this with one other establishment, so I used to be comfy in that course of. We’re headed into our fourth season, and I feel we’re proper in keeping with the place my expectations had been. The key hump that I wish to recover from is we should be above .500. That’s one thing that’s actually, actually essential for this program.”
— Schweihofer on constructing the tradition at Rutgers
Maryland
2022 document, end: 16-16, 7-13, tied for tenth place
Coach Adam Hughes (71-77 profession document, 71-77 at Maryland), senior setter Sydney Dowler, junior outdoors Sam Csire
What they mentioned:
“Scheduling proper now could be a nightmare. I’ll put it at that. The great factor is there’s extra flexibility with the variety of days you possibly can play. So that you begin seeing individuals breaking out and enjoying possibly solely twice a weekend or attempting to do some midweeks. For us, we all know we have to do as a lot injury as we will within the non-conference slate. So we actually wished to attempt to get to 12 matches and see what wins we will put collectively.”
— Hughes on Maryland’s season that features two journeys to Florida
“It was superior simply sightseeing and seeing all the things — it was my first time to Europe typically, so it was fairly the expertise. Then simply seeing the best way that they play volleyball over there, it’s rather a lot totally different. They’ve the next IQ … Then simply the expertise. We went cliff-jumping off of like a 60-foot cliff. I’m not going to neglect that. There’s video, too, so I at all times can re-watch it.”
— Csire on essentially the most memorable elements of their workforce journey to Europe this summer time
Penn State
2022 document, end: 26-8, 13-7, fifth place
Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley (151-154 profession document, 26-8 at Penn State) senior center blocker Allie Holland, fifth-year senior Zoe Weatherington
What they mentioned:
“The truth that it’s on nationwide TV is — if we will’t be glad about that, pushing it a day and messing up some journey plans, then I don’t know what we’re doing. I feel it’s nice. I feel it’s going to be an important place in Tampa, and the truth that we’re going to have the ability to be seen in all places is actually wonderful for the game.”
— Schumacher-Cawley on the NCAA/ESPN determination to maneuver the championship match to Sunday and present it on ABC
“The coaches fill us in with their recruiting and stuff. We’re one huge glad household, so we at all times speak about who could be the following addition. Lots of us are pals with one another off the courtroom, and everyone knows one another, so there could be discuss, and if we see somebody that we’d — hey, ship slightly textual content, hey, noticed you’re within the portal. The day we came upon that we acquired all these new transfers was a day of celebration. Our workforce simply retains getting an increasing number of expertise, and I’m actually excited for the season.”
— Zoe Weatherington on how she realized about all of Penn State’s new additions
Wisconsin
2022 document, end: 28-4, 19-1, fourth straight title
Coach Kelly Sheffield 537-169 total, 264-57 at Wisconsin), graduate setter Izzy Ashburn, senior setter MJ Hammill
What they mentioned:
“Will we be operating a 6-2? I don’t sit there and suppose one is best than the opposite, or I’m not married to a system. It’s how will we make the most of our abilities. I feel for this assortment of gamers this upcoming 12 months, a 6-2 most likely accentuates that expertise slightly bit extra. We’ll go in considering 6-2 however with the power to go to a 5-1 if we have to.”
— Sheffield on what number of setters will play for Wisconsin this season
“It was such an honor. Kelly referred to as me final week and let me know. Instantly I used to be simply enthusiastic about the expansion that I’ve seen even going into my fifth 12 months right here at Wisconsin, the expansion of TV viewership, the expansion of followers in volleyball, in-person attendance of followers. That was the primary message, simply the expansion of our sport total, it’s been unbelievable, and it’s nonetheless rising.
“Clearly, coming again right here and having our second media day is such an enormous step in the appropriate route. Having extra video games on TV this 12 months than final 12 months. It was simply introduced that it’s 64 now. Being on FOX Sports activities for the primary time. It’s so unbelievable to be part of volleyball and expertise that progress. However we simply respect all of it a lot, and we respect the folks that put it on and the media shops which might be serving to us out and the gamers voicing how a lot we’d like this. It’s simply been so unbelievable to be part of, and I can’t wait to see the place this goes within the subsequent few years.”
— Izzy Ashburn on being requested to talk on the B1G media-days dinner on Tuesday evening
Minnesota
2022 document, end: 22-9, 15-5, tied for third place
Coach Keegan Prepare dinner (198–56 total, 0-0 at Minnesota), junior outdoors hitter Taylor Landfair, senior setter Melani Shaffmaster
What they mentioned:
“We simply came upon yesterday that that was us, so I’ve been enthusiastic about it rather a lot. Each time we see the channel, we’re like, wow, we’re going to be on this. Nevertheless it’s going to be actually cool. I feel for us, the primary factor to deal with is we’re simply going to be enjoying Wisconsin at Wisconsin and not likely fear about what number of viewers are going to be watching on the identical time as a result of we do have a job to do. So I feel possibly slightly bit earlier than we’ll be actually, actually excited once we see all of the stuff getting arrange or no matter. I feel after we’ll be like, wow, that was superior, after which we’ll get to go and re-watch it.”
— Shaffmaster on having a match broadcast on Fox following a Vikings-Packers recreation
“We discuss rather a lot about aspirations versus expectations. It’s one thing that we’re attempting to get in place culturally, that aspirations are inside you they usually’re stuff you dream about, expectations are about different individuals. The opposite analogy I’ve been giving individuals currently is it’s type of like scuba diving. You’re down at 100 meters, and there’s 1000’s of kilos of stress round you, however you are feeling it on all sides; and for some cause, if you’re down there, it simply feels regular. For all of us, it’s gotten to that time the place it feels regular. It’s been an extended descent right down to this deep finish right here of volleyball, and the difficulty is when you come up too quick, which we don’t plan to do.”
— Prepare dinner on the expectations throughout his first 12 months at Minnesota
Iowa
2022 document, end: 10-21, 4-16, tie for twelfth place
Coach Jim Barnes (465-366, 10-21 at Iowa), senior center blocker Delaney McSweeney, senior setter Bailey Ortega
What they mentioned:
“The Iowa followers are unbelievable. They love the varsity like no different. I like their help. Even once we misplaced matches, they got here again and extra followers had been within the stadium the following day simply because they liked how onerous we performed. The league is the perfect. It’s the highest of the mountain. For those who’re teaching, that is the place you wish to be, and also you wish to be the perfect gamers round us.”
— Barnes on what he realized throughout his first 12 months at Iowa
“I actually, actually love our girls’s basketball workforce for the individuals they’re, other than how wonderful they’re… I’ve gotten the chance to sit down in on a few their practices. Since I wish to be a coach, I’ve type of sat in with (head coach Lisa) Bluder, Jan (Jensen), Raina (Harmon), the entire wonderful employees they’ve. I like the best way they play for one another. They’re all finest pals, they usually all actually get pleasure from being round one another. So I feel that’s one thing we will proceed to implement and that I feel we do have in our gymnasium.”
— Ortega on what she realized from watching Iowa’s girls’s basketball workforce’s run to the nationwide title recreation
Illinois
2022 document, end: 15-15, 10-10, seventh place
Coach Chris Tamas (115-67 total, 115-67 at Illinois), sophomore Brooke Mosher, senior outdoors hitter Raina Terry
What they mentioned:
“I inform the workforce on a regular basis, you may be a kind of groups that’s in that boat and nonetheless do rather well, and we now have. We’ve made it to a number of tournaments and have executed significantly better than seventh place within the convention. On the finish of the 12 months, I feel that’s what you’re aiming for. You’re attempting to make the event and attempting to get in. With that mentioned, clearly, we’re not glad ending seventh place. I advised the workforce this spring. I mentioned I didn’t signal as much as attempt to come right here and hope to complete seventh place after which do injury within the event. We wish to know that we will are available in and place effectively within the convention.”
— Tamas on ending seventh within the Huge Ten for the fourth straight 12 months and attempting to recover from the hump
“I’m engaged on my pictures, my pictures recreation. I look as much as Michelle Bartsch rather a lot, and I’m attempting to embody much more of her recreation and attempting to discover ways to rating in additional methods than simply counting on my heavy arm.”
— Terry on what areas she might enhance
“She must be nicer to her opponents. No, she doesn’t. Simply kidding.”
— Tamas
“No, that’s not going to occur.”
— Terry