How new USI volleyball coach Jeffrey Aucoin plans to turn the program around
EVANSVILLE — The University of Southern Indiana has found a new volleyball coach to turn around the program.
USI announced this week Jeffrey Aucoin has been hired as the 13th head coach in program history, replacing Randi Raff, who was fired in November after four seasons at the helm.
Aucoin spent the last 10 years as an assistant coach at Harvard and has plenty of work ahead of him. USI went just 1-28 in its first Division I campaign and finished with the eighth-worst RPI among 344 programs nationally.
He's already been busy getting started since officially accepting the position on March 10. He will arrive in town Monday to hit the ground running.
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“We want players that have high character and that are committed to being their best, academically and athletically," Aucoin said. "I think that if we’re surrounding ourselves with those types of people, good things are going to happen. So we're really excited about the future of this program. We're not far away from being a very successful program.”
Coincidentally, he earned his MBA from USI online last spring, and his roots in Indiana extend much further than that.
His sister-in-law, Kayla Heldman, used to play volleyball for the Screaming Eagles. His wife, Sara, is from Greenwood and has family located across Southwestern Indiana. Plus, he previously received a master’s degree in physical education from Ball State.
Being closer to family was the main reason why he wanted the position, but the Eagles' recent transition and the opportunity of competing at a higher level also intrigued him.
“(It was) awesome throughout the interview process to see an athletic department that has so many different alumni that are a part of it,” Aucoin said. “It was eye-opening to me. There’s a lot of pride within the athletic department. They’re willing to lend a hand and go that extra mile to make this place special.”
Aucoin was an assistant coach for Harvard’s men’s and women’s volleyball teams, as well as a recruiting coordinator for the women. His tenure with the Crimson was quite successful. Harvard won two Ivy League championships with him on staff and appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2015. He also helped put together a top-40 recruitment class.
When it came time to search for head coaching opportunities, he felt good about where his résumé stood.
“I really wanted to show search committees within the athletic departments that I was serious about becoming a head coach,” Aucoin said.
Despite USI's struggles last fall, Aucoin admires the fight the Eagles showed. He now aims to have the players fall more in love with their sport, as well as to make USI volleyball games more of a family-oriented atmosphere.
Aucoin met with some of his new players during the interview process and has had conversations with all of them. He advised that while he isn't the coach who recruited them, he will fully support them. He also talked with his new assistant coach Cheneta Robinson about their goals on the recruiting trail.
USI will be led by Second Team All-OVC selection Leah Anderson, who as a junior reached 1,000 kills and digs to become the fifth in program history to reach both milestones.
Courier & Press sports reporter Treasure Washington can be reached via her email, treasure.washington@courierpress.com, and on Twitter @Twashington490.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: New USI volleyball coach Jeffrey Aucoin looks to turn program around
