Kent State names Don Gromala volleyball head coach

While waiting for an announcement regarding Kent State's new women's basketball coach, the KSU athletic department posted on Twitter that Don Gromala has become the Golden Flashes' eighth head volleyball coach.

Gromala is a nine-year coaching veteran who spent the past four seasons an assistant coach at perennial top-25 power Ohio State and four years at Ohio University.  

Tuesday he agreed to a four year deal with the Flashes that runs through the 2015 season.

"We are excited to have Don on board and look forward to having him become part of the tradition of success set forth by Kent State athletics both on the court and in the classroom," Flashes athletics director Joel Nielsen said in a statement.  "He has been around winning programs his entire career and has knowledge of what it takes to get to the top of the Mid-American Conference from his days at Ohio."  

Gromala, 35, helped mentor the Buckeyes to back-to-back NCAA Championship Sweet 16 appearances the last two seasons. 

"First I would like to thank Joel Nielsen and Cathy O'Donnell for giving me the honor of being the next leader of the Kent State Volleyball program," Gromala said in a statement. "The team is fortunate to be surrounded by supportive and passionate people within the department and throughout the university's community."

Gromala is no stranger to the MAC having spent four years at Ohio where he was part of a four-year stretch during which the Bobcats compiled a 116-17 (.872) overall record and a 63-1 (.984) mark in the league. During his tenure, the Bobcats also captured four MAC Tournament crowns and played in four NCAA Tournaments including a NCAA sweet 16 appearance in 2005.  

A 2004 graduate of Iowa State with a bachelor's degree in liberal studies, Gromala both played for and coached the school's men's club volleyball team.