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The coach who guided Lindenwood to its deepest postseason run since joining the MIVA is heading back to the West Coast.
Lindenwood announced Tuesday that Kris Dorn will step down at the end of the season to become the inaugural head coach for the Vanguard University beach volleyball team.
“Vanguard is known for its authentic environment, and I cannot wait to partner with our future team, faculty and staff, to create a challenging and rewarding experience for our student-athletes,” Dorn said in a statement from Vanguard University.
Dorn in his fourth season with the Lions has a 39-55 career record. One of the best seasons under Dorn was 2015 when Lindenwood finished in fifth place in the MIVA and upset Fort Wayne in the MIVA Tournament quarterfinals.
This coaching change also comes days after Lindenwood upset No. 10/9 Loyola on Saturday for the program’s first victory against a nationally ranked team in two years.
Before arriving to Lindenwood, Dorn was the head coach at Clarke University and led the program to its first NAIA National Championship appearance in school history. In addition, he earned a master’s degree from Cal Baptist and as an assistant coach helped guide the Lancers women’s and men’s volleyball teams to five NAIA national championships.
Vanguard is a NAIA school located in Costa Mesa, California. The university will add beach volleyball beginning in the 2018 season.
“The thought of building something from scratch and recruiting a team of young athletes that are passionate and driven, is very exhilarating,” Dorn said in a statement. “Beach volleyball is fresh, new, and growing within the collegiate realm, and Vanguard is a phenomenal place for the team to call home. We will get to put our stamp on an exciting, emerging sport, all while pursuing our best selves.”
Along with Dorn taking over the beach volleyball program, his wife JP Dorn was named the Vanguard women’s volleyball head coach on Tuesday. JP Dorn, a former All-American at USC, served as an assistant coach with the Lindenwood men’s and women’s volleyball programs.