Daemen University Athletics

Eli Irizarry enters his third season as the Head Women's Volleyball Coach at Daemen University in 2024. A native of Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Irizarry was named the ninth head coach in program history, taking the reins in 2022 after serving as a graduate assistant coach on the Wildcats' staff for two seasons. 

The leadership transition did not slow down the Wildcats as Irizarry, in his first two seasons as head coach, guided the program to a 46-12 overall record, a 22-0 East Coast Conference record, two conference championships, two NCAA tournament berths and a run to "Sweet 16" in 2023. In just that short time, Irizarry has coached players responsible for 11 All-Conference, eight ll-region, six academic all-region and two honorable mention all-American selections. Additionally, he was named the 2022 ECC Coach of the Year. 

In his two seasons as an assistant, Irizarry established himself as one of the top up-and-coming coaches in the region. He played an instrumental role in leading the Wildcats to ECC regular season and tournament championships, the program’s first-ever NCAA Division II East Region championship and subsequent trip to the Elite Eight, all during the 2021 campaign. Including the obscure and pandemic-shortened 2020 season (played in Spring 2021), Irizarry helped the program to a 28-11 overall record as an assistant. 

“We are thrilled to have gone through the search process only to find the ideal candidate to lead this program was right here in our building,” said Director of Athletics Traci Murphy at the time of his hiring. “Eli has shown himself to be an incredibly bright, energetic and detail-oriented coach. He has developed a great rapport with the student-athletes that he leads. I am looking forward to watching him make this program his own and to build upon the successes it has experienced.”

Before beginning his coaching career, Irizarry was a standout player for NCAA Division III powerhouse Springfield College (Mass.). He led the Pride to four straight NCAA Division III Final Four appearances and national championship victories in 2017 and 2018. He was named a Second Team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association as well as the 2017 Division III National Libero of the Year by Off The Block, a website dedicated to the coverage of collegiate men’s volleyball. 

“I would like to thank Traci Murphy for the opportunity and for trusting me in this new role,” Irizarry said. “I also need to thank both Stephanie Albano and Don Gleason for allowing me to join both of their volleyball programs last year. They have been great mentors and have helped me build a strong foundation as a coach. I also want to thank my family for all the support they've given me throughout this journey. I've learned a lot as a coach and what it takes to run a program and I'm excited and thankful I get to stay at Daemen. I'm looking forward to the challenge and building off the strong foundation that's been established.”

Irizarry holds a bachelor’s degree in health care management from Springfield and a master’s degree in leadership and innovation from Daemen. 

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT ELI IRIZARRY…

“It is rare to find a graduate assistant that will work for both the men’s and women’s programs and have that person consistently show up and do the work with a passion to learn and grow as much as possible. In the past two years, Eli has proven to be committed, compassionate, and driven. Those qualities will serve him well as he takes this next step in his coaching journey. The Wildcats are in good hands and I am excited for Eli and the team.”
- Stephanie Albano, former Head Women’s Volleyball Coach, Daemen University (current Athletics Chief of Staff/Business Manager)


"Eli is a fantastic young coach with an outstanding coaching pedigree. Eli understands what it takes to win championships. He knows the game extremely well, relates to the student-athletes and shows passion in coaching. I am very excited to see what he will do at the helm."
- Matthew Cribbin, Director of Volleyball/Head Women's Volleyball Coach, American International College


"From day one, Eli has made a great impact with both volleyball programs here at Daemen. Because he developed a championship pedigree and mindset as a player during his college career, Eli has been instrumental in developing our mentality on the court. Having him in the gym has expedited the growth and maturation process of our young program.”
- Don Gleason, Head Men’s Volleyball Coach, Daemen University


“I had the pleasure to coach against Eli during his playing days at Springfield College. He was an outstanding player, highly skilled, very disciplined and prepared. I have had conversations with Eli off the court and it was quickly apparent his volleyball IQ was very high. As he started his coaching career as a graduate assistant, I have seen his passion for coaching, his willingness to work and be sponge as a learner throughout which indicated to me he is a young talent coming into the coaching ranks with a very bright future. I am so excited to hear of his new role and can't wait to see what he brings to the Daemen College program. I am very proud of him.”
- Amable Martinez, Volleyball Director/Head Women’s Volleyball Coach, St. Francis College - Brooklyn


“I am very excited for Eli and this opportunity. The first day he came into the gym at Springfield College, he decided that he was going to be the best libero in the program and he ended up holding the starting libero position for four years. I am excited to watch his personality, determination and work ethic propel him in his coaching career.”
- Charlie Sullivan, Head Men’s Volleyball Coach, Springfield College

Eli Irizarry Year-By-Year