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After being a four-year starter collegiately at Cardinal Stritch University, Collin Hartman takes over as the new head coach for Eagle volleyball. Hartman has already had coaching experience at Illinois State and Northwest Nazarene since graduating college in 2014, so it looks like the Mustangs’ program will be in good hands. IdahoSports.com had the opportunity to ask the new man on the job a few questions about the new position.
IdahoSports.com: Can you give us a little background on your playing and coaching experiences?
Hartman: Eagle High School did not (and still does not) offer boys’ volleyball, so in high school I actually moved to Colorado (where I lived as a kid) to train with Ponderosa High School for two semesters, the high school I would’ve went to had I still lived there. Our team won a state my sophomore year and we were runners-up my junior year. I did graduate from Eagle High School in 2010.
I went on to play men’s volleyball for an NAIA program in Wisconsin called Cardinal Stritch University, I was the first person to earn a men’s volleyball scholarship from Idaho. Our team was consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally and I was named Best Setter in the Conference and All-Conference.
I went on to coach at Illinois State University (2014-2015) as a volunteer assistant for two seasons during graduate school. In 2014, the team went 27-6 and lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament to University of Wisconsin. Most recently, I was an assistant coach at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa (2016). Our team went 21-8 and made it to the second round of the regional tournament the farthest in school history!
IdahoSports.com: Being a former college volleyball player yourself, how do you transfer that knowledge over to the coaching side of things to spread that knowledge to your athletes?
Hartman: I’ve been surrounded by great volleyball players and coaches since I first started playing the sport when I was 10. I played for an incredible high school coach, Rob Graham, in Parker, Colorado where we won the 5A state championship in 2008. Then, playing college volleyball continued to provide a great foundation of experiences and knowledge that definitely comes through in my coaching. Experiencing grueling times of frustration or incredible joy, overcoming obstacles, being a good teammate, working hard for a common goal. I can definitely relate to what athletes are feeling in all areas of the game.
As I mentioned, I’ve played volleyball since I was 10 years old and I have been a “student of the game” ever since. Whether playing in college or coaching college, club, high school, camps, etc. - I am always trying to learn something new or a different perspective so I can become the best possible coach. There are so many different ways to coach the fundamentals in any sport, and the more exposure I have to different philosophies, the better coach I can be for my team. While coaching volleyball skills is important, the most important things I learned as a player and throughout my coaching experiences are all the intangibles. The reason for which I coach is to teach young people the value of high-character, integrity, work ethic, teamwork. Volleyball is just the platform.
IdahoSports.com: You’re a very familiar face for people in Eagle, how much will that help when it comes to getting started and implementing your brand of volleyball within the program?
Hartman: I am so excited to give back to a community that means so much to me. My parents and grandpa live in Eagle and it is going to be so special to coach for my alma mater. Knowing the staff, administration, and folks within in the community will be helpful as I continue to build the brand of Mustang volleyball. My sister played for Eagle and won back-to-back state championships in 2008 & 2009 and there is a strong tradition of great volleyball in Eagle. I can’t wait to build on that success the program has had for decades. I want Eagle volleyball to be known for hard-working, gritty, high-class kids, and incredible teammates. My vision is for people in our community to be proud of Mustang volleyball for not only our success on the court, but the way the athletes carry themselves always.
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