McGuyre steps down as Cal Baptist head coach

Cal Baptist will enter its first year at the Division II level without the head coach who helped build the program into a NAIA powerhouse.

The Lancers athletics department announced Tuesday that coach Ryan McGuyre has resigned effective immediately as head coach of the Cal Baptist men’s volleyball and women’s volleyball teams.

McGuyre in his nine seasons with the Cal Baptist men’s volleyball team guided the Lancers to six NAIA national championships, including winning the 2011 national title. The coach also compiled a 206-70 career record.

Cal Baptist is entering the second year of its transition from NAIA to the NCAA Division II and will become a full NCAA member in the 2013-14 school year. The Lancers for the upcoming season will compete at the Division II level as an independent team but will be ineligible for the postseason.

Cal Baptist in recent years has upset several nationally ranked Division I-II teams in non-conference play. The team last season beat UC Irvine, Stanford and UC Santa Barbara and ended the year No. 1 in the NAIA national rankings.

Along with coaching the men’s volleyball team, McGuyre coached the Cal Baptist women’s volleyball team for 10 years and helped lead the Lancers to two NAIA national championships.

Reasons for McGuyre resigning were not initially revealed in the one-sentence statement that the athletics department released Tuesday.

“We wish Ryan the best in his future endeavors,” athletics director Micah Parker said in the statement.

McGuyre told The Press-Enterprise on Tuesday evening that he stepped down for family reasons. The coach also said that it has been an increasing time commitment and challenge to run both the men’s and women’s programs.

The Lancers athletics department also announced Tuesday that a national search to replace McGuyre would begin immediately.

Cal Baptist will play its season-opener against UC Irvine on Jan. 4.