TOWSON, Md. - Towson's search for a head volleyball coach extended beyond the West Coast, ending in the Aloha State with the appointment of the University of Hawaii at Hilo's Bruce Atkinson, it was announced by Director of Athletics Mike Hermann.
Atkinson becomes the 10th coach in the program's 32-year history.
"During Bruce's visit to campus, he quickly demonstrated that he has great vision for the volleyball program and sees the important contributions the program can make to the university and community, on and off the court," said Hermann. "He obviously has a very successful track record as a coach, but he also brings great passion and enthusiasm for the sport, along with a can-do attitude."
"He will be a terrific addition to our coaching staff, and I look forward to working with him," added Hermann.
Atkinson joins the Tigers from the University of Hawaii at Hilo where he served as the head coach for the past three seasons. He joined the Vulcan staff in April of 2007, leading them to a 23-5 season. He was named the PacWest Coach of the Year.
Hawaii-Hilo posted a 21-7 record in its second season under Atkinson and finished second in the league. This past fall, Atkinson and the Vulcans carried a top 20 ranking for most of the season and finished with a 25-2 record. The team made its first postseason appearance in over a decade and Atkinson earned PacWest Coach of the Year honors for the second time. He also coached two PacWest Players of the Year and several All-Region and All-Americans.
"I'd like to thank Mike and Margie Tversky for the opportunity to join the Towson family and I look forward to getting started with the team in preparation for a successful 2010 season," said Atkinson.
Prior to his work at Hawaii-Hilo, Atkinson served as the head coach at the University of Texas Brownsville for a year. He got his first head coaching job in 2004 at Dana College where he was also an assistant professor of physical education.
After earning his degree in exercise science from Brigham Young-Hawaii in 1993, he received a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Southern California University of Health Sciences in 1996.
-- TIGERS --
