Kent State fills the opening for volleyball head coach by hiring Ohio State’s assistant volleyball coach of four seasons, Don Gromala. Kent State and Gromala agreed to a four-year contract 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,” Joel Nielsen, Kent State’s athletic director, said in a press release from the Kent State Athletic Department. “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.”

While at Ohio State, Gromala was in charge of training outside hitters and setters, scouting opponents and directing camps and clinics. In the last two seasons, the 35-year-old Gromala helped coach the Buckeyes to back-to-back NCAA Championship Sweet 16 appearances.

Gromala also served as assistant coach to Ohio University’s volleyball team, posting a 116-17 (.872) overall record and 63-1 (.984) in his two years coaching in Athens, Ohio.

Gromala’s head coaching experience comes from coaching Iowa State’s men’s club volleyball team from 1999-2004. Under Gromala, the program posted four NIRSA Top-25 finishes.

In a Kent State press release, Gromala thanked Nielsen and Cathy O’Donnell, Kent State’s executive associate athletic director, for giving him “the honor of being the next leader of the Kent State Volleyball program.”

“As we move forward, we hope to reach the high level of success and respect that other Golden Flashes athletic programs have established over the years,” Gromala said.

Contact AJ Atkinson at [email protected] or @AJ_Atkinson1.