Familiar face joins the Pride as Chris Miron returns as women's volleyball head coach

DUBUQUE, Iowa - The winningest coach in Clarke University athletics history prior to the 2021-22 school year has returned to his old post as Chris Miron has been named the head coach for Clarke women's volleyball, starting his second stint with the Pride beginning in the 2022-23 season.

Miron will take over after Bryndon Paulsen resigned following the conclusion of the 2021-22 school year as he led CU women's volleyball to a 79-44 record in his four seasons after taking over for Miron starting in 2018.

"I am excited to welcome Chris Miron back to our coaching staff," Director of Athletics Curt Long said. "Chris has a track record of success at Clarke from being a stellar organizer and motivator, to often being sought out on campus for his perspectives and willingness to help in areas in and outside of the athletics department."

In Miron's 13 seasons as the Clarke women's volleyball head coach, he amounted a 286-190 (.601) record that included 10 seaons above the .500 mark, nine 20-win seasons, and a 31-9 season in 2013. During that stretch from 2005 to 2017, Miron also served as the head men's volleyball coach for three different seasons in 2006, 2008, and 2009.

Those 286 wins for Miron were the most by any head coach in any sport in Clarke's history of collegiate athletics until baseball head coach Dan Spain recently surpassed the mark and became the first head coach with 300 wins during the 2022 baseball season.

While away from Clarke, Miron served as the head coach for the Dubuque Senior High School girls volleyball team during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years and prior to his first stint at Clarke he formerly served as the assistant volleyball coach at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He was as a volunteer assistant coach from 2000 to 2002, and was named the Eagles' assistant coach in June of 2003.

Miron had served as a K-8 physical education teacher and as a pre-K-12 adaptive physical education teacher with the Caledonia (Minn.) Public School System since 1999. From 1999 to 2003, he was the head volleyball coach at Caledonia High School. In his four-year coaching stint at Caledonia, his squad's compiled a 92-29 overall record and a 34-9 mark in conference play. Miron coached his teams to tournament, conference and sub-section championship matches.

Miron played collegiate volleyball at Winona State University. During his playing career, Winona State qualified for the National Intramural Recreation Sports Association (NIRSA) Club National Tournament in 1996 and 1997, and was consistently nationally ranked by the NIRSA governing committee.

In his two years as an assistant at UW-La Crosse, the Eagles compiled a 64-12 overall record, captured two NCAA Midwest Region championships and advanced to the NCAA Elite 8 in both 2003 and 2004. UW-La Crosse won the 2003 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) tournament championship and was the WIAC regular-season co-champion.

Miron received his bachelor of science degree in physical education, adapted physical education and coaching from Winona State University, and his master of science in education degree in exercise and sports science and physical education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.