Viney Hired as DWU Head Volleyball Coach

Eric Viney

MITCHELL, S.D. — Eric Viney, the head volleyball coach at Oklahoma Panhandle State University this past season, has been hired as the new head volleyball coach at Dakota Wesleyan University.

Before taking the head position at Oklahoma Panhandle, Viney served as a graduate assistant at North Dakota State University for two years.

In 2002, Viney was an assistant coach at Mariette College (Ohio). He was named the head coach in 2003 and led the team to an 18-13 record with the program’s first win in the Ohio Athletic Conference Postseason Tournament since 1987. Viney was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2003.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in sport management and a minor in marketing from Defiance College in 2002. Viney was a student assistant coach at Defiance College for the women’s volleyball team during his junior and senior years.

Volleyball has always been a major part of Viney’s life. His father was an alternate for the Men’s USA National Team in the 80s, and his mother was the head girls’ volleyball coach at Carroll High School (Ohio) and started the boys’ volleyball program.

Viney’s wife, Sigourney, is a Redfield, S.D., native.

“I am excited to add Coach Viney to our staff. He has great experience having coached at all three levels in the NCAA,” DWU athletic director Chad Vogel said. “His solid family ties to the game of volleyball and South Dakota make him ideally suited for Dakota Wesleyan University. He is a very impressive up-and-comer in the volleyball world, and we are fortunate to have him.”

Viney replaces Melissa Waddell who stepped down as head coach after last season to fill the sport information director position at DWU.