Update on Search for Next Head Coach at Omaha
OMAHA – The University of Nebraska-Omaha’s search for a new head coach in the wake of the retirement of Rose Shires earlier this month appears to be in the home stretch. After speaking with numerous sources who were able to…
Access all of Prep Dig
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingOMAHA – The University of Nebraska-Omaha’s search for a new head coach in the wake of the retirement of Rose Shires earlier this month appears to be in the home stretch.
After speaking with numerous sources who were able to corroborate information, here is the latest on the search for a new Maverick coach and a timeline for events.
Please note that all names linked to having interviewed or still being in the process of being interviewed are not being published out of respect for the privacy of those individuals.
- On Thursday, March 14, long-time coach Rose Shires informs those associated with the program prior to the beginning of a practice of her retirement, effective immediately upon completion of the practice.
- At the conclusion of the practice, members of the Omaha volleyball team are informed that Shires has just coached her final practice and shortly thereafter the announcement of her retirement goes public.
- Last Monday, March 18, the initial search for a replacement for Shires is underway, led by former Nebraska coach Terry Pettit, who works his way through a candidate pool by doing phone interviews with a goal of having candidates on campus for an interview with Omaha AD Trev Alberts and administration this week.
- As the initial process plays itself out, some of the candidates most mentioned as top candidates for the position withdraw their names from consideration. At this point in the process, the money – or lack thereof – being offered for the head coaching position has become a publicly-known deterrent against the Mavericks in their search.
- As of this week, an interview with one of the finalists is believed to have taken place yesterday with a coach whose name would be well recognized in volleyball circles in the state of Nebraska. Meanwhile, another finalists – whose named would also be well recognized in volleyball circles in the state of Nebraska – is said to be on campus today interviewing.
- Multiple sources also say that a third finalist was attempting to have travel arrangements made to be in Omaha on Wednesday of this week, also for an on-campus interview.
At the pace the process is going, it is possible that the Mavericks will have a new coach announced yet this week. Omaha is hosting Kansas State and Iowa at The Volleyball Academy in Omaha this Saturday for spring matches.
In other news associated with the Omaha volleyball team, freshman setter Sydney Case has left the program and transferred to a Division II program in Florida. This past fall, Case, from Lakeville, Minn,., earned the following awards:
- Summit League Setter of the Year
- Summit League Freshman of the Year
- Summit League All-Freshman Team
- Three-Time Summit League Offensive Player of the Week
- Omaha Challenge All-Tournament Team