A former National Coach of the Year recipient is coming home.
Hawai’i announced Wednesday that former Ball State head coach Donan Cruz will join the Rainbow Warriors coaching staff.
Cruz, a Maui native, in four seasons with Ball State guided the program to three consecutive MIVA regular season championships. In addition, Cruz during his first season at Ball State in 2022 won the National Coach of Year as he led the Cardinals to their first MIVA championship in 21 years.
Ball State ended that season losing to Hawai’i in the NCAA Tournament semifinals.
Cruz before arriving at Ball State also guided Grand View to the 2021 NAIA national championship.
Along with his collegiate coaching experience, Cruz as an assistant coach helped lead the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team to a bronze medal at the FIVB U21 World Championship this summer. The U.S. roster for that tournament featured three Hawai’i players, including All-American setter Tread Rosenthal.
Hawai’i returns a majority of starters after winning the Big West championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament semifinals last season.