Gleason Stepping Down As Head Men's Volleyball Coach, Headed To Purdue Fort Wayne

Longtime assistant Darek Przybyl named Interim Head Coach

6/20/2024 3:09:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for Communications/Operations | 716-839-8385 | mmiranto@daemen.edu

AMHERST, N.Y. - Don Gleason, the Head Men's Volleyball Coach at Daemen University, will step down from his position effective June 27 in order to accept the head coaching position at Purdue University Fort Wayne, Daemen Vice President of Athletics Traci Murphy announced today.

"I want to thank Coach Gleason for his vision and leadership of our men's volleyball program over the last six seasons," Murphy said. "We are grateful for the time he spent here, literally building the program from the ground up, and it is positioned well for our next head coach. We wish Coach Gleason well in his future at Purdue Fort Wayne."

The vision for a men's volleyball program at Daemen started with Gleason who came on board as an assistant coach with the Wildcat women's volleyball program in 2016. He and former Athletics Director Bridget Niland worked to secure a $60,000 grant from the First Point Volleyball Foundation (formerly the MotorMVB Foundation) to assist in the establishment of the program, which was introduced on May 5, 2017 with Gleason being named its first head coach.

With Gleason at the helm, the Daemen men's volleyball program commenced play in 2019. After going 6-17 in that inaugural season, Gleason led the Wildcats to winning records in each of the next five seasons, culminating in a run to the Northeast Conference championship this past season. He leaves Daemen with a career record of 81-43.

"I want to thank Daemen University and the leadership in the Division of Athletics, both past and present, for giving me the opportunity to build the men's volleyball program over these last seven years," Gleason said. "It has been a privilege to work here and the experience has helped to shape my coaching philosophy. Because of the strong nucleus of student-athletes returning and the University's commitment to the program, I'm confident that the program will continue to have success for the foreseeable future."

Darek Przybyl, a longtime assistant on Gleason's coaching staff, will serve as Interim Head Coach. Przybyl has been at Daemen since the program's inception. He had previously worked as an assistant coach with both the men's and women's programs at Medaille College in Buffalo, where he also competed as an undergraduate student-athlete.

A national search will commence immediately to identify the program's next head coach. The Daemen men's volleyball team is slated to return 14 players, including four starters, from their 2024 squad which posted a 20-6 overall record and a 9-3 mark in NEC play. Among the returners is graduate student Zach Schneider (Lockport, N.Y.), a two-time First Team All-NEC performer who is also the program's all-time leader in kills (1,174) and digs (504).

Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

Follow the Daemen men's volleyball program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenMVB.

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