|
Volleyball Coach
 Nancy
Cole
Head Coach
220-143
12th Season
[Email
Coach Cole]
Nancy Cole has guided her
squads to a 220-143 record over twelve seasons at Houghton, with
two regional titles and two NAIA National Tournament appearances
(1998 and 2000).
Her 1998 squad finished 27-9
after capturing the Northeast Atlantic Conference crown and
winning the Northeast Region title to reach the NAIA National
Tournament for the first time in school history. Cole led her
team back to nationals in 2000 after upsetting the top seeds in
both the conference and regional tournaments. That team finished
26-16 and put Cole over the 100 career win plateau during the
season.
Despite losing six seniors the
previous year, Cole's 2002 team earned a trip to the NAIA Region
IX finals and finished with a 21-16 record. For that effort Cole
was named American Mideast Conference North Division Coach of
the Year.
Despite the success, she stays
grounded. "Winning is very important and it’s a way of showing
that you’re giving 100% to God, but there are more important
things out there, too."
Cole's players have earned a
total of 37 all-conference honors. She has also produced a
two-time conference player of the year, 10 all-region honorees,
a two-time NAIA All-America and three NAIA All-America
Scholar-Athletes.
After playing volleyball in
high school, Cole decided to attend Houghton, where she was a
three-year member of the varsity team, twice being named as an
NCCAA Academic All-American and also being honored with a
first-team all-conference selection after her senior year.
After graduating in 1990, Cole
spent time helping out with nearby Fillmore High School’s team
before coming back to Houghton as an assistant coach for two
years. She says she learned a lot from the two Houghton coaches
she assisted, current Athletic Director Skip Lord and Glen
Conley, and so was ready when the opportunity to become
Houghton’s head coach came in 1996.
Why coach at Houghton? Besides
loving volleyball and wanting to be around it as much as she
can, she really likes being at a small college. She also likes
Houghton’s affiliation with the NAIA, largely because a lot of
the teams they saw at the National Tournament were other
Christian schools. Additionally, she loves Houghton. Not only
does she have the chance here to impact her players’ lives on a
volleyball basis, but "to be available to them spiritually,
emotionally, and everything else . . . I think it’s a really
cool opportunity. It’s neat to have a Christian team, where you
can fellowship together."
COLE AT HOUGHTON
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
-
25-7
-
Conference Tournament
2000
-
26-16
-
NAC Champions
-
NAIA Region IX Champions
-
NAIA National Tournament
1999
1998
-
27-9
-
NAC Champions
-
NAIA Region Champions
-
NAIA National Tournament
1997
1996
| 
