Will commence a national search for the next head volleyball coach
TAMPA, DEC. 4, 2019 – University of South Florida Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly today informed coach Courtney Draper of his decision not to renew her contract as the Bulls’ head volleyball coach and begin immediately a national search for a new leader for the USF volleyball program.
“I would like to thank Coach Draper for her eight years of service to our university and her contributions to our volleyball program,” Kelly said. “Courtney and her staff have worked hard and led our program with integrity on and off the court. However, I believe we can achieve greater success on the court and the time is right for a new direction and new leadership.
“USF volleyball has a bright future, and I am very optimistic that we can identify and secure a new head coach that our current student-athletes will embrace and thrive under, and that will recruit high character and top-performing volleyball players to our program.”
Draper, who was named head coach in 2012, completed her eighth season leading the USF program in 2019 as the Bulls posted a 7-23 record overall and went 1-15 in American Athletic Conference play, dropping their final 15 matches. In her eight seasons at the helm, Draper posted an overall record of 117-135 and a 61-86 mark in conference play. She led the Bulls to a 20-12 record (9-9 in The American) in 2018 and a berth in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC), USF’s first postseason appearance in volleyball since 2002. The Bulls fell in the first round to Georgia Tech. USF volleyball finished over .500 in four of Draper’s eight seasons and once in conference play, going 11-7 in the Bulls’ first season in The American.
About USF Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 19 varsity men’s and women’s teams that compete in 11 different sports, 18 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls’ athletic program began in 1965 and is in its 54th season in 2019-20. Nearly 500 student-athletes train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the campus in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls have claimed 19 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, and own 120 conference titles overall. Eleven USF programs reached national postseason competition in the 2018-19 season and six were ranked in the Top 25 nationally. The Bulls posted a combined annual grade-point average over 3.0 for the fourth straight year in 2018-19 and have posted a program record nine straight semesters with a combined GPA over 3.0. USF has had more than 250 student-athletes earn their degree in the last three years.
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