HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- Coker College is excited to announce the hiring of Travis Nead as their next women's volleyball head coach.
"We are excited to have Coach Nead lead our volleyball program" said Dr. Lynn Griffin, vice president for athletics and athletic facilities. "Coach Nead has the necessary experience to lead our women's volleyball program and recruit student-athletes who will be and continue to be successful at Coker and within the South Atlantic Conference".
Nead spent the previous five seasons as the assistant volleyball coach and recruiting coordinator for Western Carolina University. He thrived as an in-game defensive coach, and was responsible for preparing tactical scouting reports for defensive schemes, organizing team travel, and managing the recruiting process for the entire program.
Nead has coached a Southern Conference All-Freshman Team recipient in each of the past three seasons, as well as multiple players that have received defensive player of the week and defensive player of the month awards.
Prior to his time at Western Carolina, Nead was an assistant volleyball coach with Eckerd College, as well as the head coach at Carrollwood Day School where he compiled an overall record of 43-31. Nead was also a club volleyball head coach for several clubs in the Tampa and St. Petersburg areas where he posted an overall record of 126-65.
"I am very excited and humbled to be named the next head coach for the Coker women's volleyball program," said Nead. "I'd like to thank Dr. Griffin, Julia Rowland and the entire search committee for the opportunity to lead such a fine group of student-athletes. I'd also like to thank Coach Glover and the entire Western Carolina University athletic community for all of their support in my five seasons at WCU.
When I visited Hartsville, and met with everyone on the search committee, it become very clear to me that the athletics department, as well as the college itself, are committed to providing the very best for their student-athletes while also ascending the ranks of the South Atlantic Conference.
My family and I are excited to begin this next chapter of our lives in Hartsville, and I look forward to working with these student-athletes to help them succeed both at Coker and beyond."
Nead graduated with a business management degree from the University of South Florida in 2010, and then received his masters in recreation and sports sciences from Ohio University in 2013. He is a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and the husband of Stephanie Nead.