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A coach who led his team to an undefeated season and a coach who guided his team to a spot in the national rankings are each earning a share of a coaching award.
Off the Block announced Thursday that Lincoln Memorial coach John Cash and Daemen coach Don Gleason were selected as the Off the Block Co-Independent Teams Coach of the Year.
The Independent Teams Coach of the Year recognizes the top head coach during the regular season from NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball teams that are competing without a conference affiliation. The eight independent teams this season were Alderson Broaddus, Daemen, D’Youville, Limestone, Lincoln Memorial, St. Francis Brooklyn, Tusculum and Queens.
Cash helped Lincoln Memorial rebound from a 1-5 start and finish the season at 10-8 and on a five-match winning streak. In addition, the Railsplitters climbed to No. 10 in the Off the Block Division II National Coaches Poll and earned the No. 1 seed for the upcoming IVA Tournament.
Gleason guided Daemen in its program’s third year to an undefeated record during an abbreviated 10-match regular season. Daemen, which received votes in the latest Off the Block National Media Poll, capped off its perfect season with a two-match road series sweep against St. Francis Brooklyn earlier this month.
Head coaches from the independent NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball teams and volleyball media members comprised the voting committee for the Independent Teams Coach of the Year.
This is the inaugural year that Off the Block has presented Independent Teams Coach of the Year.
Along with the Independent Teams Coach of the Year, Off the Block presents the All-Independent Team, the Independent Teams Player of the Year and the Independent Teams Freshman of the Year. The college men’s volleyball website also presents the Independent Teams Player of the Week throughout the regular season.
Off the Block is a national award winning website that started in 2011 and is the nation’s leader in college men’s volleyball coverage.