Indiana University Northwest has announced that Diane White, of Westfield, Ind., will coach the Lady Red Hawk volleyball team for the 2013 season.
“I have always wanted to coach at the college level,” remarks White. “That was always in the cards. I was just waiting for my children to be able to take care of themselves so that I would be able to do it.”
After the 2012 season, White decided this was the perfect opportunity to pursue the open coaching position.
“It’s the same type of program that I came up in when I went to Northern Kentucky University. It was a small commuter school, so it was very similar to what IU Northwest offers,” she said.
IU Northwest Athletic Director Kristofer Schnatz believes White is the perfect person to reestablish our volleyball team’s competitive stature. He goes on to say that “Diane has a history of building successful programs through player development and personal dedication. I believe that Diane’s 20 years of playing and coaching experience have her ready to take on the challenges ahead.”
White inherits a team marked with years of struggle, yet are ready to combine their experience and veteran players with White’s talents to rebound and establish themselves as a formidable force this season. The new coach has set a goal for 15 wins as well as postseason pay in the Association of Independent Institutions for this coming season.
“”I demand a lot out of the kids. And I think the girls want that,” White explained. “If you have high expectations of yourself, you’re going to deliver on those expectations and get good results. That’s the way that I coach my teams. I’m very clear in my expectations, tell them what I want, and expect them to deliver. And most of them do.”
White expects that her team will not only commit to excellence on the court, but off as well, including the campus and the community. White explains “we’re looking at doing different fundraisers, community events, things like that, to try and get the team out there in front of people.”
White has already started recruiting and understands the appeal that a regional university program offers student athletes. IU Northwest offers the opportunity to play competitive NAIA volleyball while earning a world class IU degree.
“I think the smaller campus draws the type of athlete that we want for the NAIA programs,” she said. “We want the athlete that is not necessarily looking for the full-ride scholarship. They’re looking more for the good education. IU Northwest offers that.”