The Danville Area Community College Board of Trustees has taken the first step in bringing volleyball back to the DACC athletic program by the fall of 2024. They have voted to pursue hiring a coach, who would work part-time on building the program and recruiting players. DACC president Dr. Stephen Nacco says the process of finding this person starts now; and he believes they will succeed.
AUDIO: In Tim Bunton, an athletic director, and we have Jill Cranmore in Human Resources, they’re teaming up; and we will beat the bushes for volleyball coaches. It’s a very popular sport here. This is a sport that has a lot of traction in this community. It’s like basketball.
(Left) Jared Fritz states his case for DACC bringing back volleyball. (Right) DACC Vice-President of Academic Affairs Dr. Carl Bridges congratulates Health Information and Technology instructor Margie Wright on being granted tenure.
Dr. Nacco stated that January of 2024 will be when the call will need to be made to appeal to the NJCAA to have DACC declared a participating volleyball school for that fall, and to make the coach full time. Between now and then the name of the game will be not just recruiting players, but also bringing in students, perhaps on scholarship; to help the coach with recruiting and getting the program built. For example, students wanting to be athletic directors someday could take advantage of this opportunity. Nacco says the initial part-time salary being paid to the coach will be decided at a later date.
A public speaker commenting on volleyball at the Board of Trustees meeting, Jared Fritz, mentioned that some college players are being allowed to stick around an extra year because of COVID, which is reducing recruiting opportunities for high schoolers. And a new program at DACC could give them a new option.
Also talked about during Thursday night’s meeting was a possible future voluntary separation program for DACC staff with 15 or 25 years service. Dr. Nacco says, with the anticipation of budget problems starting in 2024, this would be one way for the school to save money.
AUDIO: And it would be some sort of financial incentive to leave DACC, and then we would either hire people at a lower salary, because they’re newer people, or we would just not replace them. And that’s a way for us to look to balance the budget. But it’s not tied to retirement. It’s not tied to age. It’s tied to years of service.
A formal proposal is expected at the next meeting.
Finally, DACC staff member Marcie Wright was granted tenure at Thursday’s meeting. She says this was a very special moment, essentially bringing her story at DACC full circle.
AUDIO: You know I did get my GED here; and then started going to school here for the Associate’s program; and just continued my education through my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree; and was just supported by DACC in every step of the way.
Marcie Wright is the Clinical Coordinator for Health Information and Technology at DACC.
