April 16, 2008

ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio Head Volleyball Coach Ryan Theis has named Kyle Weindel assistant coach, making him the first member of Theis' staff at Ohio. Weindel will serve as the primary on court trainer and the trainer of the middle blockers and defense, as well as the video analyst and camp coordinator.

"I am very excited to be here in Athens," said Weindel. "I have known Ryan for a number of years and it's good to finally get the chance to work with him after bouncing ideas off of him for a number of years. It's great to be in a town that supports volleyball the way that Athens does. It's very reassuring, but there's also pressure that comes along with it as well, and I like that aspect."

Theis is equally as enthusiastic about Weindel joining the Ohio staff.

"Kyle is a huge addition to the program," said Theis. "He will do a marvelous job with the team both on and off the court. He's a tireless worker that has a great vision for the game and how we want to play it and he can relate with the players very well."

Weindel joins the volleyball staff at Ohio after spending the 2007 season as an assistant at Saint Louis University. Prior to coaching at Saint Louis, Weindel served as the executive director and co-founder of the Indiana Volleyball Academy for one year.

He also was an assistant coach for the Asics Munciana Samurai Volleyball Club U18 squad from 2005-07. During his final season, Weindel helped his team to a third-place finish at the AAU National Championship and an 11th-place finish at the USAV national championships in the U18 Open Division. In 2006, Munciana finished second at the AAU National Championship and 13th at the USAV national championships, while his 2005 squad compiled a 65-8 record and placed second in the U18 Open Division at the USAV national championships. Seven of Weindel's players achieved high school All-America status, while 33 went on to earn Division I scholarships.

"Kyle has a really good grasp of how to work with young female athletes," said Theis. "He has a real good knowledge of that through his years with club, which might be even more important then the club contacts he has."

During his stint with Munciana, Weindel also served as an assistant coach with the Ball State men's volleyball team. He was charged with coordinating the team's conditioning program in addition to assisting with the recruiting process. Weindel also worked with the USA Volleyball High Performance Program in 2006. At the 2006 High Performance National Team Camp, Weindel served as assistant camp coach under Men's National Team head coach Hugh McCutcheon. Weindel has also spent time as the program director at a health club and as an assistant coach at Nerinx Hall High School.

Weindel is no stranger to the Mid-American Conference, as prior to his professional career he was a four-year letterwinner for the Ball State men's volleyball team from 2000-03. In 2002, the All-Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association third-team pick helped guide his team to an NCAA Tournament berth following regular-season and conference tournament titles. His team advanced to the semi-finals of the 2002 NCAA Tournament.

Weindel graduated from Ball State in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in exercise physiology.

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Wes Liles is the volleyball contact in the Ohio media relations office. He can be reached via email at liles@ohio.edu.