BY JADON FRANK
The Olds College Broncos men’s volleyball head coach Ryan Marsden will also be taking the reins as women’s volleyball head coach for the 2018-19 season.
After a six-year hiatus from collegiate athletics, Marsden returned to coaching by stepping in as interim head coach of the men’s volleyball team in early February. After recently being named permanent head coach of the men's team, Marsden is excited to add another team to his portfolio.
“I am excited to be coaching two ACAC teams for the upcoming season,” Marsden says. “I am coaching for a living in a respected volleyball program, and could not be happier.”
Marsden looks forward to the challenge of coaching two teams this season.
He expects that his athletes will soon learn that communication is one of his strengths as a coach, and that a culture of transparency and respect, along with having quality assistant coaches and support staff for both programs, will be the key to the success of the Broncos volleyball teams next year.
Assistant coaches for both programs, Jasmine Hemsing and Rob Meckling for the women’s squad, and Kris Hartley and Larry Matthews for the men’s, will be returning to the program. They work well collaboratively and have proven to be a good fit.
“My priority as coach for both programs is to create a safe, open and competitive culture that fosters learning and commitment,” Marsden says. “We want these players to be strong student-athletes in all facets, and represent the Broncos program and Olds College well both on and off the court, and on and off campus.”
Marsden is an experienced ACAC coach. He served as head coach of the SAIT Trojans men’s team from 2007 through 2012, leading the team to an ACAC championship and CCAA silver medal in 2010. He has also coached for Mount Royal University, University of Alberta and University College of the Cariboo (Thompson Rivers University).
"Ryan's resume is outstanding," says Olds College Broncos athletic director Linda Henderson. "His understanding of what it takes to recruit and develop student-athletes at this level is remarkable; he knows how to compete to win on the court, in the classroom and in the community. We are truly blessed to have him lead our Olds College volleyball programs."
After disappointing seasons for both squads in 2017, Marsden expects to see the team rebound, in terms of both win-loss record, and on-court competitiveness.
“I guarantee that both programs will be competitive every game,” Marsden says. “Our goal is to get the best out of these student-athletes every game, in hopes that we find ourselves in a playoff spot at the end of the season.”
Jadon Frank is the game day events and promotions programmer for Olds Broncos Athletics.
