MTU hires Asst. V-Ball coach
Courtesy of MTU Athletics
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech head volleyball coach Matt Jennings announced today (June 11) the hiring of Douglas Han as an assistant coach.
Han replaces Nicasio Paquiz Jr., who recently took the top assistant position at NCAA Div. I and Mid-America Athletic Conference member Eastern Michigan.
Han brings with him a diverse volleyball experience, which includes time coaching at the NCAA Div. I, NAIA and youth club levels.
“Doug and I seemed to hit it off right away, giving me the impression that we would work well together on behalf of the team,” said Jennings. “He comes highly recommended by people I know and trust back home in Chicago, including a Tech volleyball alum with whom he worked at the club level.”
Han comes to Tech from NAIA member William Woods University, located in Fulton, Missouri. As an assistant coach on the Owls’ 2012 staff, the program compiled a 21-19 overall record, which included a 12-6 league record and a trip to the conference tournament semifinals.
During the 2010 season, Han served as a volunteer assistant at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Northwestern, a member of the Big Ten Conference had a record season in 2010, which saw the program advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats won 21 matches overall while competing in what many consider to be the best volleyball league in the country. With four wins over top 25 teams (#19 Michigan, #16
Minnesota, #14 Tennessee, #6 Illinois) in the regular season and one in the first round of the NCAAs over #20 Arizona, Han’s exposure to elite-caliber volleyball should be of great value to the Tech volleyball program as it looks to build on last year’s turn-around season.
In addition to his time at the college ranks, Han has worked at the youth national club level for over five seasons by serving as both head and assistant coach for various age groups with Wildcat Jrs. in suburban Chicago.
A Niles, Ill., native, Han graduated with a degree in kinesiology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and played for the Illinois men’s club volleyball team. As an outside hitter for Maine East High School in suburban Chicago, Han earned all-state honors his senior season.
“From what I’ve learned about his ability and energy in the gym, his time with two successful college programs, and familiarity with Midwest club volleyball, I believe that Doug will be a great asset for us in both the near and long term,” said Jennings. “I’m excited for him, the team and of course, the upcoming season”
Han officially begins in Houghton on July 1.