By the fourth year of a coach’s tenure, he typically is finalizing a blueprint to reach the peak of success.
Ohio volleyball coach Ryan Theis has a different goal: staying on top of the mountain the program climbed before he came to Athens.
Theis took the helm of a unit that won four Mid-American Conference championships in five years under coach Geoff Carlston, who left to coach at Ohio State.
Now in the fourth year of his tenure at Ohio and with three conference championships of his own, Theis has found a home in Athens and The Convo.
“It’s been a fun run. Obviously the three championships have been a lot of fun, and we’re trying to extend that streak and keep it going,” Theis said. “I’ve just really liked being in Athens and being in this community and growing more roots over the last four years. It’s been great.”
Carlston’s standout recruits included Ellen Herman, Sue Jacobi and Michelle Jantsch, who helped lead the Bobcats to their most recent titles. But they have since graduated, and 13 of the 15 players on Theis’ roster are his own recruits.
Theis said he recruits to fill voids left by graduating players.
“We think we have to have a mix of everything,” he said. “For example, in a year where we don’t have a lot of competitiveness, the next recruiting class we might try and get some really feisty kids who are undersized or play with a chip on their shoulder.”
Theis said he has become more embedded in the program and has developed a better understanding of the recruiting process and what is necessary for Ohio to be successful.
Theis’ student-athletes have also been recognized nationally for their academic accomplishments.
This summer, the Bobcats earned the NCAA Public Recognition Award for having an Academic Progress Rate that ranks in the top 10 percent of all volleyball programs. Ohio is one of 13 volleyball teams that have won the award each year since its 2006 inception.
One way the Bobcats try to maintain national prominence is by maintaining strength of schedule. The Bobcats are 245-62 since 2002, and they try to schedule tough opponents to bolster their resumé.
“We tend to go pretty aggressive,” Theis said. “We try and get as many top-50 opponents as we can in a preseason because, at the end of December, if you don’t win the conference tournament, the NCAA committee is going to look at not only your RPI, but how you’ve done against top 50 opponents. If you are 0-2 against top 50 opponents versus 3-3, there’s a lot to be said about getting in the NCAA tournament.”
Playing name-brand opponents also helps with recruiting.
“I mean, we compete against (Bowl Championship Series) conferences for recruits all the time, and I think that one thing we need to sell is that we are going to play a BCS schedule,” Theis said.
Theis plans to continue scheduling rigorous opponents, adding that he is halfway through making the schedule for next year, and some home-and-home series are booked two to three years in advance.
“We know two teams that are coming to us in 2013, and one weekend we know a road trip,” Theis said. “You’re working two years at a time with trying to finish 2012, and 2013 is underway.”
nr225008@ohiou.edu
