Meet Ian
Ian has loved the sport of volleyball ever since he was a young boy. From the age of 3 years old, he spent every summer of his life in Ogunquit, Maine. Growing up on Ogunquit Beach, Ian was able to watch the adults play volleyball. As a 9-year-old child, he continuously asked anyone who had a ball to play volleyball with him. As he went through adolescence, he grew stronger and more mature which led to more opportunities to play on the beach. Volleyball was the perfect outlet for his active and highly competitive nature. As his skills and explosive strength increased, his love of the sport became even more intense.
Growing up in the 80’s, there were limited opportunities for him to play scholastic volleyball. Everything he learned about how to play the sport he learned by watching others play either in a gym or on a beach. His burning desire to play at the highest possible level was and still is his driving motivation. It has fueled and fed his love of the game. After graduating from high school, he joined the Varsity volleyball team at Westfield State College. Even with his limited experience playing indoor volleyball, he was determined to make an impact on the team. While at WSC, Ian played outside hitter, opposite side hitter and setter. He was named Captain of the team his junior and senior years of college. Shortly after receiving his undergraduate degree, Ian went back to the beach and had a highly successful beach career. He played in open level tournaments up and down the east coast. Playing alongside his brother, he racked up several open beach championships. ​His beach career culminated with appearances in the AVP (Miller Lite) and the Molson Outdoor Professional volleyball tournaments. Though he and his brother won money and other prizes along the way, it was always Ian’s love of the game and his intense desire to win that motivated him to always play his best.
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After completing his certification in teaching at the University of Massachusetts, Ian began a career in teaching. He wanted to find a way of passing his love and passion for the sport down to others. Shortly after receiving his certification, Ian moved to Maryland to begin his career as high school Social Studies Teacher and Volleyball Coach. Early on in his teaching career he continued to compete in beach tournaments during the summers. However after a couple of knee surgeries it became apparent that he could no longer compete at the levels he used to, so he focused on coaching as a way of transferring his love of the game to his students.
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After being hired to teach with Baltimore County Public Schools, he began coaching at various county schools. Simultaneously, he volunteered to coach USAV Junior Club volleyball as well. Coaching in high school and club provided him the perfect outlet to share and pass on his passion for the game with others. Being able to inspire, motivate and teach young athletes about the game of volleyball soon became his central focus. He wanted to learn more about the game, the best ways to play as well as how to teach it but his top goal was always to inspire others. This translated into a highly successful high school and club coaching career.
As Head Coach at Dulaney High School, Ian compiled a remarkable 90-6 record. He won back to back Maryland State Championships in 1999 & 2000 and was named Baltimore Sun Coach of the Year both years.
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After a successful high school career, in 2002, he served as Head Coach at CCBC-Catonsville. His team earned a 24-6 record, a top 25 ranking and an appearance in the 2002 NJCAA National Tournament.
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Concurrently, Ian took over as the Technical Director of Time Out Volleyball Club. Over a five-year period from 1999 – 2004, his teams went undefeated in the Chesapeake Region. They racked up 5 straight Regional Championships, made 5 straight appearances at the USAV National Tournament and finished 5th and 3rd respectively in 2003 & 2004.
From 2004-2017, Ian worked as an NCAA Division I women’s volleyball coach. In addition to coaching Division I volleyball, for the past 19 years he has served as a clinician for Gold Medal Squared Elite Coaching Clinics. Working with GMS, Ian has had the opportunity to teach other volleyball coaches from around the world. His clinic and coaching travels have taken him across the United States, Canada, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Beyond working with coaches, Ian has also been an advisor to GMS and several junior level volleyball clubs and NCAA programs across the U.S. He has provided expert advice regarding curriculum and content development for clinics, developmental training for athletes, writing practice plans, player development programs, motivational leadership and growth mindset seminars.
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Ian’s experiences have provided him a unique blend of skills, training tools and motivational methods. Ian has outstanding expertise in the areas of skill development, physical conditioning, NCAA recruitment, academic advising, mental and emotional toughness, growth mindset development and leadership. His combined experience at nearly every age and skill level of volleyball with both female and male athletes makes him uniquely qualified to coach, mentor and advise all levels of volleyball athletes.