KAMLOOPS – Patrick Hennelly, has been named WolfPack’s men’s volleyball head coach, Thompson Rivers University Athletics Director Ken Olynyk announced today.
Hennelly, WolfPack’s interim head volleyball coach for the university’s inaugural CIS season, will officially take over full-time duties as head coach starting May 1, 2006.
“Pat has done an outstanding job with us this past year, not only on the court with the men’s volleyball team but in all aspects of being a university coach,” said TRU’s Athletic Director Ken Olynyk.
“He has recruited prospective players all year long, had involvement at the administrative level with the Kamloops Volleyball Association, conducted a couple of invitational junior and senior high school tournaments and has been involved with elementary and high school clinics.”
Since being appointed as interim head coach last August to a volleyball program with only one returning player, recruiting has been a priority.
“He’s built around that one player and by the end of this inaugural CIS season Pat had the men’s volleyball team competing and improving each time out,” Olynk said.
Hennelly attributes his team’s character for helping him make up his mind to accept the head coach position.
“We went into every match this year underdogs in every category and this group of athletes kept fighting and working hard all year long,” Hennelly said. “Our last match versus Manitoba was a testament to this fighting spirit. Manitoba was ranked 4th in the Nation at the time and we played them head to head for all four sets in that match.”
The new head coach also credits the team for working hard off the court in the community and in the classroom to establish the groundwork for a successful program.
Hennelly is about to complete his recruiting for the upcoming year, having just signed Robin Schoebel, an U18 national team player from France, and expecting to sign a few more athletes in the upcoming weeks.
“I am looking forward to next season and our planned trip to California to play some of the top NCAA,” Hennelly said. “We established some tournament and camps this past year and now with our access to the city’s new facility being built, I am looking forward to bringing more events and camps to Kamloops.”
“For me personally I cannot think of a better place to start my coaching career. I get to set the standard for the future in volleyball not only at TRU but also in Kamloops. It is an awesome feeling and responsibility to start my career as a CIS Coach with a new CIS program and establish the foundations for the future.”
“I’m excited about keeping Patrick Hennelly on our campus,” said Olynyk. “Pat has fit well in our division. He’s a real people person. This is a positive move for us. We’ll be moving forward as a team.”
“Hennelly played with Team BC for five years and was a member of the 1989 Canada Games team as a youth, assisted and coached volleyball at UBC between 1995 and 2004, also traveling with the UBC men’s team to Korea, Russia, Finland and Estonia. He worked at Northern Arizona in 2004 for the opportunity to coach full time and experience the NCAA.
For more information, please contact Patrick Hennelly at 250-377-6118, cell: 250-572-6619 or Ken Olynyk at 250-828-5273 or cell 250-320-4263.
