CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois head volleyball coach
Julie Allen has announced the hiring of Jennifer King as an assistant volleyball coach with the Panthers program. King will join the program in mid-February.
King comes to EIU following a five-year stint as the head coach at Nova Southeastern University in Florida. During her time with the program she was named the co-Coach of the Year and helped the program achieve the best start in school history with a 10-1 record during her second year. King coached the program to a regional ranking during the 2015 campaign. King coached nine All-Conference performers during her time at Nova Southeastern.
"I am excited to welcome Jenn to our Panther Volleyball Family," said Allen who is entering her second season guiding the Panthers. "She brings a great collegiate coaching background and college playing experience that I am confident our team will benefit from. I think our players will appreciate Jenn's passion, positivity, upbeat personality and enthusiasm for teaching."
Prior to her time as the head coach at Nova Southeastern, King was the head coach at Southeastern Oklahoma State for four seasons. In her second year the program advanced to its first-ever Great American Conference tournament with repeat appearances in 2012 and 2013. King coached the program's first GAC Player of the Year winner, Lunden Azuara, who was also name a first-team All-American after finishing fourth in the nation in kills per set. She also recruited and trained GAC Freshman of the Year Megan Kunkel in 2012. King finished her career at Southeastern Oklahoma having coached ten All-Conference players and eleven academic All-Conference selections.
King joined the coaching ranks in 2004 following a four-year career at Siena University where she was a first team All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference selection. King's career started at her alma mater for one season before stops as an assistant coach at Division I schools Marist and West Virginia. Serving as the recruiting coordinator for West Virginia she helped build a roster that improved from three wins her first season to 16 wins in her second season.
King moved on from West Virginia to serve as the top assistant at St. Leo University from two seasons. She helped guide the team to the program's first NCAA Division II South Region Tournament berth in 2008 and the program's first conference title in 2009. During her two seasons at St. Leo, the Lions posted a 59-15 record with an AVCA Top 25 ranking of No. 10 during her second season.
"In the interview process it was apparent that Jenn enjoys building meaningful relationships with the student-athletes, community and institution," add Allen. "She will coach our middle's and work as a defensive coach. In addition Jenn will be our recruiting coordinator."
King is a 2003 graduate of Siena University. A native of Newtown, Conn., she is married to Dan King.
