Mizzou volleyball: UNLV's Dawn Sullivan hired as next head coach

Matt Stahl, Columbia Daily Tribune
·2 min read
UNLV's head volleyball coach Dawn Sullivan at round 3 of Women's NIVC Tournament against Arkansas Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at UTEP's Memorial Gym.
UNLV's head volleyball coach Dawn Sullivan at round 3 of Women's NIVC Tournament against Arkansas Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, at UTEP's Memorial Gym.

Missouri has its new volleyball coach. Dawn Sullivan was hired to the position, MU Athletics announced Sunday.

Sullivan was previously the head coach at UNLV, where she was hired by current Missouri athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois.

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“It is an honor to take over a historically great program like Mizzou,” Sullivan said in a news release. “Coaching at Mizzou provided a unique opportunity that I could not pass up. I am grateful for the opportunity to build upon the Tigers’ volleyball tradition, and I am looking forward to competing in the SEC.”

Sullivan spent five seasons at the helm of UNLV. The Rebels made postseason appearances in each of Sullivan’s seasons as head coach, and won the 2022 regular season Mountain West championship.

She leaves UNLV with a 109-38 record as head coach.

“We had the privilege of speaking with an impressive group of coaches during this competitive search process, but it became clear that Dawn embodies everything we sought for in our next women’s volleyball head coach,” Reed-Francois said in the news release. “She’s an elite leader, tireless recruiter and a proven winner. She has deep Midwestern roots, is smart, driven and student-athlete focused”

Sullivan played college volleyball at Kansas State and was named to the school’s athletic Hall of Fame in 2016. She spent 13 seasons as an assistant at Iowa State before being named UNLV’s head coach.

She began her coaching career as an assistant at Illinois State.

Sullivan will take over a Missouri squad that finished 9-19 overall and 2-16 in the SEC last season. Former head coach Joshua Taylor was fired at the conclusion of the campaign.

She becomes the eighth head coach in program history.

“The support provided by the athletic department as well as the university now and into the future is amazing,” Sullivan said in the release. “I want to thank the Board of Curators, President Choi, Desiree, the search committee and everyone at Mizzou Athletics for trusting me to lead the volleyball program. I am excited to get to know the team and meet the alumni and all the Mizzou fans.”

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Mizzou volleyball: Dawn Sullivan from UNLV is new head coach