NDA Volleyball - Matt Long is out (?)

[Moken]

Any truth to the rumor?

 

I am digging around to see what I can find.

 

I hope this story is not true!!!

 

In my opinion, Matt is one of the best volleyball coaches in Northern Kentucky (if not the state) and has done a tremendous job at NDA since his arrival 5 or 6 years ago in developing the girls, assisting with recruiting, getting NDA volleyball national exposure by getting them invited to the top two tournaments in the country (Las Vegas and Chicago).

 

This would be a major blow to the volleyball program.

 

Anyone else hearing anything with regard to this news?

[Clyde]

Maybe he wants to be a head coach.

 

Is he a better coach than the current head coach at NDA?

[BIGZIG]

He has a big ego..I'm sure about 5 or 6 years of him at any one school would be about all one could take of him.

[Clyde]

He has a big ego..

 

That puts him on a long list of coaches.

[BIGZIG]

That puts him on a long list of coaches.

 

Indeed it does.

[kyyank]

Assisting with recruiting???

[bredwinner]

Assisting with recruiting???

 

I believe the op is referring to college recruiting. It helps when a high school or club coach contacts colleges about their own players.

[Moken]

I believe the op is referring to college recruiting. It helps when a high school or club coach contacts colleges about their own players.

 

Correct. College recruiting, I guess I should have been more clear with regard to that part of my post.

 

Over the past couple years, NDA has had a TREMENDOUS amount of girls receive college scholarships for volleyball. I believe 10 girls have or will be continuing their volleyball careers at the next level (Class of 2012 - 6 girls are currently playing in college, 2013 - 2 girls, 2014 -2 girls currently committed) with many of them playing at the Division I level (8 girls). Matt has done a great deal of work in assisting these girls in contacting the college coaches and/or acting as a conduit during the recruiting process. I know he's not the only one that worked with these girls during this time, club coaches and parents assisted as well. I am speaking strictly from Notre Dame.

 

Matt has been the one that provides the information to prepvolleyball.com about NDA volleyball, getting them Nationally ranked, getting them invited to Las Vegas, Chicago and was working to get the girls invited to Hawaii for a tournament on the islands for next season.

 

I did get some additional information with regard to him being dismissed by NDA. I was told he was totally blindsided by the news and that the girls were informed of the change yesterday at school and they are are not taking the news well at all. In many cases, the girls said that Matt held the team together during some difficult times over the past few years.

 

As you can tell, I am a fan of Matt's and think he has done a great job in working with the volleyball team at NDA, spearheading the charge to get NDA volleyball on the National stage, building relationships with the families and competing for State Championships year in and year out.

[Clyde]

Moken, was Matt the coach that kept the team together? More than a few stories about girls and Coach Lanham not being on the same page.

[BlueKrush]

Interesting times in Park Hills. With what Mercy, Assumption, St. Henry, and Sacred heart will all lose to graduation this year, and with what NDA has coming back, for the first time in a long time, NDA has to be the favorite to win state in 2013 (Sacred Heart is now the team to look out for from Louisville). With NDA poised for a state run, and the fact that Coach Long coaches 3 NDA All-Staters on his club team (Thelen, Ogle, Klare), I doubt this was his idea.

 

Expectations always run high at NDA, but anything less than a 1st or 2nd state finish next year will have supporters wondering if NDA kept the right coach. Dumping coach Long puts all of the spotlight, and the pressure, on the head coach (so what else is new) If NDA got rid of their "good cop" coach, where does that leave them?

 

Who will they bring in to squeeze the most out of a team loaded with the most talent in the state in 2013?

[kinglouie]

Correct. College recruiting, I guess I should have been more clear with regard to that part of my post.

 

Over the past couple years, NDA has had a TREMENDOUS amount of girls receive college scholarships for volleyball. I believe 10 girls have or will be continuing their volleyball careers at the next level (Class of 2012 - 6 girls are currently playing in college, 2013 - 2 girls, 2014 -2 girls currently committed) with many of them playing at the Division I level (8 girls). Matt has done a great deal of work in assisting these girls in contacting the college coaches and/or acting as a conduit during the recruiting process. I know he's not the only one that worked with these girls during this time, club coaches and parents assisted as well. I am speaking strictly from Notre Dame.

 

Matt has been the one that provides the information to prepvolleyball.com about NDA volleyball, getting them Nationally ranked, getting them invited to Las Vegas, Chicago and was working to get the girls invited to Hawaii for a tournament on the islands for next season.

 

I did get some additional information with regard to him being dismissed by NDA. I was told he was totally blindsided by the news and that the girls were informed of the change yesterday at school and they are are not taking the news well at all. In many cases, the girls said that Matt held the team together during some difficult times over the past few years.

 

As you can tell, I am a fan of Matt's and think he has done a great job in working with the volleyball team at NDA, spearheading the charge to get NDA volleyball on the National stage, building relationships with the families and competing for State Championships year in and year out.

 

Any info on reason why they let him go?

[Moken]

Any info on reason why they let him go?

 

What I have gathered is this was the head coaches decision solely.

 

As with any coaching staff, throughout the season, opinions on how things should be set up, offenses should be run, positions, etc. differed between the head coach and the assistant coach(es). I am under the impression, the team felt as though they could approach Matt with questions, concerns, advice, etc. (aka - coaching) whereas they did not feel comfortable (or didn't feel as though they could) approaching the head coach with the same. I believe the girls trusted Matt. Again, just the impression I got about the program, just my opinion. I don't believe this went over well with the head coach.

 

I don't know if the head coach felt threatened by the relationship the players had with Matt or not, I cannot speak to that, however, that's the vibe that this change in the coaching staff seems to be giving.

[Moken]

Moken, was Matt the coach that kept the team together? More than a few stories about girls and Coach Lanham not being on the same page.

 

That is the impression I am under.

 

Correct, more than a few stories.....

[Sweeperboy]

Any info on reason why they let him go?

 

C'mon Lou, you know why...

 

PHM

 

 

Why don't they leave these kids alone over there in Park Hills and let them enjoy being a HS Student Athlete. These should be the best days of these kids lives and it always comes down to these types of things.

 

Not alot of good things come out of these little soap operas regarding Parents vs Coaches and the kids will be the victims in the end imo.

Who are these sports for anyway, the kids or the adults...Just Sayin

[BlueKrush]

C'mon Lou, you know why...

 

PHM

 

 

Why don't they leave these kids alone over there in Park Hills and let them enjoy being a HS Student Athlete. These should be the best days of these kids lives and it always comes down to these types of things.

 

Not alot of good things come out of these little soap operas regarding Parents vs Coaches and the kids will be the victims in the end imo.

Who are these sports for anyway, the kids or the adults...Just Sayin

 

I detect a hint of . . it's only girls volleyball, who cares, move along . . . I wonder if you would say the same if the story was about HHS Football.