Lake Forest College Hires Daniel Coates as First Head Coach of Men's Volleyball Program

Strategic Insights -

Lake Forest College is proud to welcome Daniel Coates as the head coach of its men's volleyball program. Coates, with a background as both a player and coach, has been hired to lead the Forester men's volleyball team as it begins competition in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) in the spring of 2027. Coates will spend the 2025-26 academic year recruiting players for the program's inaugural season.

Key Takeaways:

  • Daniel Coates has been hired as the first head coach of the Lake Forest College men's volleyball program, bringing with him a background as both a player and coach.
  • Coates will lead the team in its inaugural season as a member of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) in the spring of 2027.
  • Coates comes to Lake Forest College after serving as a graduate assistant at Concordia University Chicago, where the team tied for fifth place in the 13-team NACC in 2025 and led the league in points per set.
  • As a graduate assistant, Coates also assisted the head coach in all aspects of the program and earned his master's degree in applied exercise science.
  • Coates obtained his bachelor's degree in political science from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 2023 and began his coaching career as an assistant with Borderline Volleyball Club, also located in Oxford.
  • Coates is looking forward to crafting a culture of excellence, both on and off the court, and is set to begin the process of recruiting players for the program's inaugural season in the 2025-26 academic year.

Statistics:

  • 2025: Concordia University Chicago tied for fifth place in the 13-team NACC and led the league in points per set.
  • 2024: Concordia University Chicago boasted the NACC's leader in kills and points by a freshman and the team's setter became the first in program history to surpass 2,000 career assists.

Sources:

  • Lake Forest College news release, [no date]
  • Daniel Coates biography, [no date]
  • Concordia University Chicago Athletic Department, [no date]