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The winningest coach in program history returns to coach the Bucs

 JOHNSON CITY – East Tennessee State University Director of Athletics Dr. Richard Sander announced on Tuesday the hiring of Lindsey Devine as ETSU’s next volleyball head coach. Devine returns to Johnson City after leading the Buccaneers from 2003 through 2018 where she compiled a program-record 292 victories. 

“We’re happy to have Lindsey come back home and lead our ETSU volleyball program,” said Dr. Sander. “Coach Devine is respected across the volleyball community. She knows how to develop players and build a championship culture. Her teams have shown a tremendous amount of success on and off the court and have made such an impact within the community. We are excited to have Lindsey back in the Buccaneer family.”

In her previous tenure leading the Bucs, Devine coached 28 players that earned all-conference accolades, including three Player of the Year, three Libero of the Year and two Freshman of the Year award-winners.

During the 2018 season, she was named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year for the second time in three years after leading the Buccaneers to a regular season conference title and its highest win total (28) since 1983. ETSU earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, the first team in Southern Conference history to do so, marking back-to-back postseason appearances for the Bucs.

Off the court, ETSU sported a 100 percent graduation rate under Devine and earned the AVCA Team Academic Award each of the last nine years, which requires at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade point average.

She compiled the most victories by a coach in program history and directed the Bucs to their second NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017 after sweeping all of its opponents during a dominant run through the Southern Conference Tournament. She was the 2016 SoCon Coach of the Year after guiding the Bucs to a 21-7 regular-season record, including an undefeated 11-0 home record.

Devine led the Blue & Gold to the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament in 2012 when ETSU captured the program’s first ASUN Tournament crown with wins over Mercer, Lipscomb and North Florida. The Bucs captured regular season ASUN titles under Devine in 2013 and 2006, with the 2006 club going a perfect 9-0 in league play.

Since 2005, she had 28 players earn All-Conference honors including multiple Freshman of the Year, Libero of the Year and Player of the Year honorees. Three of her former players went on to play in the international ranks in Crystal Palmer (Croatia), Megan Devine (Sweden) and Meredith Hardy (Switzerland).

“I am very grateful to return home and once again be the head coach of the ETSU volleyball program,” said Coach Devine. “This full-circle opportunity is very special to both me and my family. I want to thank Dr. Brian Noland, Dr. Sander and the search committee for giving me this opportunity to lead such a proud program. I also want to thank everyone for their continued support and believing in me. The ‘Be GREAT’ mantra will be the pillars we use to establish our core values as we build a program this university and community will be proud of. It feels great to be home and I can’t wait to get started. Go Bucs!”

Devine left ETSU after the 2018 season and spent the 2019-2022 seasons coaching in the Southeastern Conference. She served a three-year stint as the head coach at the University of Alabama before spending the 2022 campaign as a volunteer assistant at Mississippi State. 

Devine captured her 300th win as a collegiate head coach in early 2019 as the Crimson Tide swept Alcorn State. Devine, who now has 321 career victories, won 292 matches during her last stint with ETSU. 

In addition to her collegiate experience, Devine has had been a successful coach on the national level with USA Volleyball. She assisted the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team at the 2012 European Challenge before winning silver at the 2013 World Championships, its first medal at the event. The following year, she helped guide the team to a gold-medal finish at the 2014 NORECA World Championship Qualification Tournament and silver with the U.S. Girl’s Youth National Team at that year’s NORECA Women’s U-18 Continental Championship in Costa Rica. She also earned silver at the 2013 and 2015 FIVB World Championships with the USA Youth National Team.

Devine began her coaching career at Durham Attack Volleyball Club in Ontario, serving two years as assistant coach for the 17 Boys Elite, earning back-to-back National Championships.

Devine is a graduate of York University in Toronto, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in English, physical education and education. She received a master’s degree in sports management from ETSU in 2014 and a Global Sport Leadership Doctoral in 2018. She was an outside hitter on York’s volleyball team from 1984-88, earning four all-province titles and a bronze medal at the 1985 Canadian National Championships.

Devine and her husband, Carl, have two children, Megan and Owen.

 

What they are saying about Coach Devine

 “Congratulations to Coach Devine and to ETSU. Lindsey is one of the most well-respected coaches in our business, so the opportunity to compete against her again is a privilege. Coach Devine has a standard of success and excellence that is unmatched, and we know the Bucs will be a force to be reckoned with under her leadership.” – Wofford Head Coach Lynze Roos

 “I am just thrilled that Lindsey is making her return to ETSU and diving back into the world of college coaching. Lindsey is a proven winner. She knows how to build programs and maintain success; it truly is remarkable. She knows how to treat student-athletes with care and respect, while also pushing them to become the best version of themselves. Lindsey is a brilliant leader and ETSU is so fortunate to have her leading their program!” – Mississippi State Head Coach Julie Darty Dennis

 “It is exciting to have Lindsey step back into the leadership position of the ETSU volleyball program and more importantly back in college coaching.  She is a great leader and has a proven track record of success in the collegiate game and at ETSU.  They are lucky to have her back and the future of ETSU volleyball is certainly bright.” – Fran Flory- former Head Coach at LSU and now the head coach for the Vegas Thrill in the Professional Volleyball Federation.