Coleman Appointed as Next Santa Fe Volleyball Coach
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - After an extensive search, Santa Fe Athletics is pleased to announce the hiring of Bailey Coleman as the next Head Volleyball Coach.
Coleman becomes the second coach in the history of the Saints' program, which began in 2014 under the direction of Nick Cheronis.
"I am honored and excited for this opportunity to lead the volleyball program as the head coach here at Santa Fe College," expressed Coleman. "The entire process has been handled in a first class manner and I thank everyone who was involved. I strive to create an environment that fosters growth within these student athletes on and off the court. We as a program will build for the future based on our competitive drive, talents, and motivation."
Volleyball has been ingrained in Coleman. After a Division I playing career at Georgia Southern University, Coleman has gone on to hold a number of roles in the sport, to name a few: the collegiate volleyball coaching ranks, management of a volleyball academy, and the founding of BC Beach Volleyball Club, a new program in Newberry, Fla.
The South Carolina native is no stranger to Gainesville. Since August of 2019, Coleman has served as the Head Volleyball Coach at Buchholz High School, and for over two years from 2017-2019, Coleman was employed by the University of Florida as an Academic Advisor. Her extensive knowledge and experience working with student-athletes on the court and in the classroom has prepared her well for this opportunity with the Saints.
"We are extremely excited that Coach Coleman will be leading our volleyball program," stated Director of Athletics Greg McVey. "Her experience as an NCAA Division I student-athlete, college coach, and academic advisor will strengthen our volleyball program for years to come. Additionally, her experience at Buchholz High School here in Gainesville has created an understanding of our community. I am looking forward to working alongside Bailey as we move forward into the future."
- BC Beach Volleyball Club (Newberry, Fla.) - Owner/Founder (2021-Present)
- Buchholz High School (Gainesville, Fla.) - Head Volleyball Coach - (2019-2022)
- Tallahassee Volleyball Academy (Tallahassee, Fla.) - Director (2016-2018)
- University of Alabama at Birmingham (Birmingham, Ala.) - Head Beach Volleyball Coach (2014-2016)
- University of Alabama at Birmingham (Birmingham, Ala.) - Assistant Volleyball Coach (2012-2015)
- University of Montevallo (Montevallo, Ala.) - Assistant Volleyball Coach (2010-2012)
- Oklahoma City University (Oklahoma City, Okla.) - Volleyball Graduate Assistant (2008-2010)
Her collegiate coaching background was kickstarted as a Graduate Assistant at Oklahoma City University before she was hired as the Assistant Volleyball Coach at the University of Montevallo from 2010-2012. In that time frame, Coleman helped guide the Falcons to make their second appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) took notice, and hired Coleman for the Assistant Coaching position at the Division I institution, a post she held from July of 2012 until January of 2015. While at UAB, Coleman provided academic advisement, was the Blazers' recruiting coordinator, and directed Kerry Messerman's Volleyball Camp, the largest volleyball team camp in the state. She also made her mark on the Beach Volleyball program at UAB, taking on the Head Coaching position from January 2014 until July of 2016. Her commitment to academics continued to yield results for the student-athletes, and UAB found success in the sand. Coleman helped grow the program and coached three national pair qualifiers for the AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championships. The university also hosted the NCAA Beach National Championships in both 2016 and 2017, with Coleman taking on leadership as a chair member for the 2016 Coastal Collegiate Sports Association Conference (CCSA) Coaches' Committee.
She has strong ties to the club/academy level in the state of Florida as the owner/founder of BC Beach Volleyball Club in Newberry, and she also served as the Director of the Tallahassee Volleyball Academy from July 2016 until January 2018. In that position, she was responsible for (among other duties): management and oversight of over 20 coaches and 75 players for both indoor and beach volleyball, recruitment, marketing and finances, and facility operations.
In her most recent position, Coleman led both the JV and Varsity programs for the Bobcats at Buchholz High School.
Coleman will set her sights on making her mark with what has been a high-quality program. Since the inaugural season in 2014, the Saints have earned four conference titles, with two in the Mid-Florida Conference (2014, 2020) and two in the Panhandle Conference (2018, 2019).
Additionally, SF has appeared in the Region VIII State Tournament on seven occasions, with one trip to the NJCAA Tournament in 2016 to secure a fourth place finish in the NJCAA Division I.
The 2022 Santa Fe Volleyball season is scheduled to begin at home for Coleman and the Saints on Aug. 24, in a 7:00 p.m. matchup with Lake-Sumter State College. The link to the full schedule is included below, along with Saints' social media accounts and a link to the team store.
2022 Santa Fe Volleyball Schedule
2022 Santa Fe Volleyball Team Store
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