NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion University Volleyball Head Coach Fred Chao announced on Thursday the hiring of Shane Spellman as an assistant coach.
Spellman comes to Norfolk following the departure of former Associate Head Coach Adam McLamb, who is moving on from coaching.
“First, I’d like to thank Coach Adam for all he has done to help build this program. His contributions in and outside of the gym will endure. We are forever grateful, and we wish Adam all the best in the next chapter of his life,” said Chao.
“With that said, we are excited to announce Shane Spellman as our next assistant coach,” continued Chao. “His preparation and research into the past and present of the ODU program set him apart from the other qualified candidates. He brings a broad range of coaching experience and skills to the position. As a former head coach, he is intimately familiar with the numerous hats that must be worn, and how various tasks need to be integrated for the overall success of the program. The players who met with him also endorsed his selection to our staff. Additionally, Shane has a charisma that will benefit both recruiting and the training gym. Please join us in welcoming Shane, his wife Corey, and their son Mateo to the Monarch family.”
Spellman is no stranger when it comes to coaching volleyball at a high level. He most recently served as the head coach at NCAA Division III member Marymount University for the past two seasons, where he led the Saints to two-straight Atlantic East Conference titles and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. Marymount went 17-15 overall and 5-0 in conference play, losing only two sets all season. Four Saints earned postseason All-Conference honors, with Kaitlyn Doyle named Atlantic East Tournament MVP. Katee Stromberg also received the Atlantic East Elite 20 Award for the second season in a row.
In Spellman’s second season, he led the Saints to another conference title where they went 6-0 against league opponents and also appeared in the NCAA Tournament. Five players landed on the Atlantic East All-Conference teams: Harper Wolf was voted Conference Player of the Year and was joined on the First Team by Natalie Bialecki, Eliza Freeman, and Maya Harris. Additionally, Stromberg garnered Second Team honors and received the Elite 20 Award for a third time.
Prior to his time at Marymount, Spellman was the Director of Player Development for Starlings Volleyball since October 2019. He also held coaching stints at Wakefield High School and Thomas Jefferson High School and had been the head 18s coach for Virginia Volleyball Club.
Additionally, he was the assistant beach volleyball coach at Tulane during the 2017-18 academic year. Before that, he was the assistant coach at NAIA member Cardinal Stritch University, where he was elevated to interim head coach in October 2016 and helped the team to a second-place finish in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) North Division.
Spellman was a two-time Second Team All-Great Northeast Athletic Conference honoree at Rivier University, playing from 2012-14, and helped the Raiders make three appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
“I want to thank Fred, Becca, and the team for giving me the incredible opportunity to join the ODU volleyball family,” said Spellman. “The program’s commitment to success was clear from everyone involved throughout the process, and it’s evident that everyone shares a collective vision for excellence. I’m thrilled to contribute to both the development of players on the court and the growth of individuals off the court. The future of the program is bright, and I could not be more excited to be a part of it!”