Into the spotlight of the Ball State University women's volleyball program steps David Boos, who will be the first person other than Randy Litchfield to lead the program since 1989.
The 18-season Litchfield era ended with the only losing record for the team under his direction. However, this season it will be Boos who leads the Cardinals' mission to the top of the Mid-American Conference.
Boos, who was hired in January, spent the last five years at the University of Minnesota, three as an associate head coach. Before Minnesota, Boos was an associate head coach at Indiana University for three years and a volunteer assistant for three years at his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
"As a first-year head coach you are looking for a place where you can be successful," Boos said. "The reputation of Ball State is a school and community that supports volleyball so well that it's a place a coach can be successful. I know the Midwest well; I'm a Midwest guy. I've been in this state before working at Indiana so I viewed it is a natural fit."
With two assistant coaches and a volunteer assistant, Boos won't be completely alone. However, he is the one who has replaced Litchfield and thus faces the critics who think Litchfield should still be the head coach.
"There is a certain culture that is created when a coach is at a location for so long," Boos said. "Right now as a staff we are still in the process of making sure this program has the coaches we want to have. ... Creating that culture is probably the biggest hurdle we have."
One way the culture has changed around the women's volleyball program with Boos is the coaching style employed. While Litchfield was known as a fiery screamer Boos is more laid back in his approach.
"[Boos is] very positive, very defense oriented and goal oriented," senior Angie Parrell said. "Not so much future, but long-term goal oriented."
Boos said he thinks of himself more of a professor than the volleyball version of General Patton.
"The best way to describe it is I'm a teacher," Boos said. "I try to create a teaching environment in the gym. I'm not a yeller-screamer. Our players will be asked to do a lot ... I'm very demanding of them. We are going to push real hard. We have a very high-tempo practice, and a high-tempo way of playing and practicing every day."
Boos said the demands on his players boil down to three specific things.
"We ask them to be a great student, great people and a great athlete," Boos said. "So if we are doing those three things well we're doing a pretty good job."
Even though Ball State is Boos' first head coaching position, he said he feels ready to be the top man.
"I was a recruiting coordinator for years and then I became associate head coach and head trainer for [Minnesota]," Boos said. "I ran practice on a daily basis and created the scouting reports. So I have pretty much touched every facet of the coaching profession. Now it's my turn to do it on my own."
To many, doing a good job means winning and to do that Boos will rely on defense.
"My past and my experience that I bring here is from a defensive program," Boos said. "So my experience at the University of Minnesota was being one of the best defensive teams in the country every year. It is what allowed those teams to be successful. For us to win here that solid defense is going to have to be a real important part of that success."
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