Associate Athletics Director Nona Richardson sought two specific qualities in the next women's volleyball coach at Ball State University: success in recruiting and advancement in the NCAA Tournament.
David Boos fits the bill.
Boos, who has spent the previous five seasons at the University of Minnesota, became the fifth women's volleyball coach in Ball State's history Monday.
In each of Boos' five seasons at Minnesota, the Golden Gophers reached the NCAA Tournament, including trips to the national semifinals in 2003 and 2004.
From 2004 to 2006, Boos was the associate head coach. Prior to that, he was the recruiting coordinator, where he was responsible for top-five classes in 2002 and 2004, according to prepvolleyball.com.
"I've been in the state before and I'm very aware of the tradition at Ball State," Boos said. "Ball State is very well-known for ball control and scrappy defense and those have been the cornerstone that has made Ball State a successful program over the years."
Prior to being at Minnesota, Boos was an assistant coach at Indiana University from 1999 to 2001. Richardson said the school wasn't necessarily looking for someone completely opposite of former coach Randy Litchfield, who was fired Dec. 4, partly due to his verbal treatment of players.
"We were just looking for somebody who has got a great repoire with student-athletes and has great success," Richardson said. "This is a new day and age for student-athletes. You have to have coaches that can relate to them."
In Boos' five seasons as an assistant coach under Mike Hebert, the Gophers compiled a 142-38 overall record and 80-20 in the Big Ten Conference. The Gophers also won their first Big Ten title in 2002.
Boos' duties as associate head coach included coordinating the defense, running practice and being the point person during matches. Richardson said the tactical responsibilities given to him by Hebert has prepared him well for the job, as most head coaches don't delegate that kind of responsibility.
"He has got a quality that is unmatched," Richardson said.
Boos said he plans on bringing his defensive philosophy to Muncie.
"We're going to use a scheming defense," Boos said. "The whole idea I have is, 'Not all athletes are created equal, so don't treat them equally,'"
"We'll focus on attacking the weaker hitters. It's all a little different than what [Ball State] has done in the past, but it's perfect for the players at Ball State now. They're going to have the individual skills to play defense and highlight their abilities."
Eight coaches were interviewed for the position, but Boos was the only one brought to Muncie for an on-campus interview. Boos will be on campus for the first time Monday, where he will meet with players and contact members of the 2007 recruiting class as well, he said.
Boos played for the Wisconsin-Oshkosh men's club volleyball team from 1994 to 1999 and served as the head coach from 1996 to 1999. While playing and coaching on the school's club team, he was a volunteer assistant for the women's volleyball team from 1995 to 1998. He graduated from the school cum laude in 1998.
"We are very fortunate to have someone the caliber of Dave join the Ball State family," Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Collins said in a press release. "He is one of the most talented young coaches of this generation and will be an excellent representative for the Ball State women's volleyball program."
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