E-mail coach Friend

Dan Friend is in his sixth season at the helm of the Lewis University men's volleyball program. In his 13th season as a head coach, Friend enters the 2010 season with a 245-148 overall record and an 86-64 record with the Lewis men.

Friend graduated his first recruiting class at Lewis in 2009 but not before it made a lasting impression on the program. The squad reached as high as No. 9 in the nation before finishing the season ranked No. 12 thanks to a 21-8 record in 2009. Lewis recorded wins over every conference opponent and topped UCLA in a packed Neil Carey Arena. Individually, outside hitter Drew Pickering became Lewis' first AVCA All-American in six seasons. His 4.15 kills per set led the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association and helped him become Lewis' first MIVA Player of the Year in 10 seasons. Libero Nick Perakes became Lewis' all-time leader in digs with 964. All told, five of Lewis' seven starters earned All-MIVA selections.

The Flyers took a major step forward in 2008, finishing the season ranked No. 14 in the nation. Lewis earned what would be the first of two straight seasons with 20 victories and a postseason win. The regular season was highlighted by a road sweep of USC. Four Flyers took home All-MIVA honors.

In 2007, Friend led the Flyers to a 17-14 overall record. Lewis reached the postseason for the first time under Friend and three Flyers earned All-MIVA recognition. In 2006, Friend guided Lewis to a 10-18 mark, presiding over a team of all freshmen starters, several who would eventually earn All-MIVA honors during their careers. In his first season in 2005 Friend guided a veteran club with four all-conference players to a 17-14 overall record and a 10-6 mark in the MIVA.

Friend's first taste of NCAA postseason play came in the fall of 2006 when he took over as interim head coach of the Lewis women's team and led the Flyers to their first conference championship in 14 years. The women's team went 17-3 under Friend, finishing with a 25-6 overall record and a trip to the NCAA tournament.

Before arriving at Lewis, Friend served as the men's and women's volleyball head coach at Newman University. Friend started the men's volleyball program at Newman in 2002 and led the team to the NAIA national championship match in its third year. He coached the Jets to a 20-win season in 2003 and was named NAIA National Coach of the Year after leading the 2004 squad to a 29-11 mark and national runner-up finish.

As Newman's women's head volleyball coach, Friend guided the program to 22 or more wins in each of his three seasons at the helm. He coached 15 all-conference, eight all-region and two All-America players. In 2003, the Jets posted a 32-8 overall record and 14-2 league mark.

Friend's combined record in the two positions, was 142-81 (.637), including a 66-40 (.623) record with the men's team.

Before coaching at Newman, Friend spent three seasons as an assistant women's volleyball coach at Washburn University. Prior to that, Friend was a student assistant at Washburn for four years.

Friend served an assistant coach on the 2009 USA FIVB World Youth Championships team that competed in Italy and the 2008 Men's USA Volleyball Junior National Training Team. Friend helped the 2008 squad earn the bronze medal. He also coached and played for a college-age men's team called USA Athletes on four different summer tours. That team took first at the 2007 Scottish Open, 2004 Aruba Invitational and the 2002 Down Under Games (Australia). In 2003 the team finished third in the DKV Invitational (Netherlands).

Friend is a native of Topeka, Kan., and a graduate of Washburn University. He earned a bachelor's degree in athletic training and exercise physiology at Washburn before completing a master's degree in sports administration at the University of Kansas.

Friend was a certified athletic trainer who has worked in a rehabilitation clinic and at the University of Kansas. Friend is a member of the AVCA and the United States Volleyball Association. He also competes in the summer months on the Extreme Volleyball Professionals and Association of Volleyball Professionals tours.

Friend is just the second head coach in the 17-year history of the Lewis program, which has become a national power. The Flyers have made three NCAA Championship appearances, making trips to the NCAA semifinals in 1996, 1998 and 2004.