KERRVILLE, TX -- Howard Wallace, who has been the first assistant coach at NCAA Division I Texas-San Antonio for the past nine years, has been named as Schreiner University's new head volleyball coach.  Wallace replaces Phillip White, who left SU at the end of December to become Director of Volleyball at the Spire Institute outside of Cleveland, OH.

Wallace brings 30 years of collegiate volleyball coaching experience to Kerrville and the Schreiner program.  This past fall, he helped UTSA to a 14-2 record and runner-up finish in the Southland Conference.  The team was 22-11 overall and lost in the championship match of the conference tournament.  During his tenure assisting head coach Laura Groff, the team has gone 84-53 in SC play.

"I want to thank President Summerlin, Athletic Director Macosko, and the search committee for providing this opportunity for me. I really enjoyed the family atmosphere on campus and feel Schreiner is a great fit for me.  I am confident that I can follow in the footsteps of Coach White in building the Mountaineer Volleyball Program into a conference contender," said Wallace upon his hiring.

Prior to arriving at UTSA, Wallace was the head women's volleyball coach at Creighton University from 1997-2002.  From 1992-97, he was the associate head coach at one of the nation's premiere women's volleyball programs, the University of Hawaii.  From 1990-92, he was an assistant at Hawaii before being promoted.  He had another stint in Texas when he was an assistant coach at the University of Houston from 1985-88.  He has extensive experience coaching at the club level for both the San Antonio Force and the Alamo Volleyball Club and has been instrumental in running the UTSA Volleyball Camps throughout his tenure.  Wallace earned his bachelor's degree in Anthropology at Washington State University and also earned his Master's degree in Educational Administration from the University of Hawaii in 1995.

"When Phillip (White) left, it created a stressful time for everyone associated with Schreiner Volleyball.  There was so much optimism for the future but Phillip got an unexpected chance he couldn't turn down.  A little more than two months later, that stress is completely gone as we have hired a person that I believe is the perfect fit for Schreiner Volleyball today.  Coach Wallace has done and seen it all.  His knowledge, experience, passion and calm demeanor is just what we believe our present and future players need and I am convinced that he will help our program get to the next level of success.  He is committed to student-athlete success on and off the court and understands D-III athletics.  I'm sure he will be missed at UTSA but we couldn't be happier to have him leading our program at SU," said Ron Macosko, Schreiner Director of Athletics.

UTSA head coach Laura Groff on Wallace's hiring, "We've had a partnership for nine years at UTSA.  It's just hard to see him go.  I'm really happy for Howard.  He really wanted to be a head coach again.  This is a great opportunity for him.  I look for great things for him to bring to (Schreiner).

Wallace is a native of Hawaii, and is married to Tommie who is also a native of Hawaii.  They have two children, Kathryn - who is a freshman at LeTourneau (a fellow member of the American Southwest Conference with SU) and member of the women's soccer team - and Eric who is an eighth grade student.  The Wallaces plan on moving to Kerrville later this year.

-Courtesy Schreiner University Sports Information Department