NJIT hires former Sacred Heart assistant Goncalves as new head coach

A former Sacred Heart assistant coach with experience of playing professional volleyball in Europe will be the new head coach at NJIT.

NJIT athletics director Lenny Kaplan announced Thursday afternoon that he hired Danny Goncalves as the men’s volleyball team’s new head coach for the upcoming season.

Goncalves spent time as the assistant coach for the Sacred Heart men’s and women’s volleyball teams and helped guide the women’s volleyball team to a conference championship. Most recently he also served as the volleyball director at the Chelsea Piers Connecticut in Stamford, Connecticut, and worked with several club volleyball teams throughout the Northeast.

Along with this coaching experience, Goncalves served as a men’s and women’s volleyball assistant coach at his alma mater New Haven from 2008-10 and in his first season led the women’s volleyball team to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.

Goncalves before becoming a coach played professional in Portugal for Caselo da Maia as a libero, outside attacker and opposite. In addition, Goncalves during his college career was a member of the New Haven men’s volleyball team.

NJIT hired Goncalves after it opted in May not to renew the contract of former head coach Ryan McNeil.

The Highlanders last season finished 10-17 and in seventh place in the EIVA. NJIT also has not reached EIVA Tournament since the conference moved to a four-team conference tournament format for the 2012 season.