USI hires Jeffrey Aucoin as head coach

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - University of Southern Indiana Volleyball has officially the hiring of Jeffrey Aucoin M'22 as the next head coach of the Screaming Eagles. Aucoin will be the 13th head coach in program history and the second in the NCAA Division I era.

"First, I would like to thank President Ronald Rochon, Director of Athletics Jon Mark Hall, Assistant Director of Athletics Mandi Fulton, and all the members of the search committee," says Aucoin. "It is an honor to lead this program at a critical time in the program's history. From the moment I stepped on campus, I could feel the pride and authenticity of the USI family. They exuded the energy, commitment, and compassion to deliver a first-class student-athlete experience. I cannot wait to work with the team, engage with the alumni, and immerse our family in the USI and Evansville communities. Go Screaming Eagles!"

"We are truly excited to have Jeff on board and part of our USI community," says USI Athletic Director Jon Mark Hall. "This is a critical time for all of our programs as we continue through our transition in Division I and we are excited that Jeff will be here to lead our volleyball students through this transition. Jeff is student-athlete centered and understands the demands placed on student-athletes in today's environment. His holistic approach to leading a program came across very clearly during the interview process."

Aucoin comes to USI after a 10-year stint with Harvard University as the recruiting coordinator and assistant women's volleyball coach. During his time with the Crimson women's volleyball program, Aucoin helped guide the team to back-to-back Ivy League championships and their first NCAA tournament appearance in school history. He was able to achieve a top-40 recruiting class and coached 25 All-Ivy League selections, three AVCA All-Region selections, and two Ivy League Rookie of the Year athletes.

Aucoin spent three seasons with the Crimson men's volleyball program as an assistant coach. During his time with the program, he guided the team to their all-time highest AVCA national ranking at No.13 and coached eight All-EIVA selections.

Aucoin graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology focusing on sports studies. He also was a four-year member of the New Hampshire men's club volleyball team and was named NCVF tournament MVP after leading the Wildcats to the 2011 NCVF Division I-AA National Championship. In 2013, Aucoin earned his master's degree in physical education and sport from Ball State University where he was a MIVA Academic All-Conference selection as a member of the Cardinals' NCAA Division I varsity men's volleyball team. He would continue his academic pursuit and receive an MBA at the University of Southern Indiana in May 2022.

Aucoin and the Eagles will hit the court for USI's second season in DI play after finishing 2022 with a 1-28 overall record, going 1-17 in the Ohio Valley Conference and missing out on the post-season tournament.

Making a return to the squad is junior Leah Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois) who tallied second-team All-OVC honors last season after racking up the sixth-most kills in the league with 347 and nabbed a team-high 316 digs and 28 aces to pair with 53 blocks. She also became the 15th player to reach the 1,000-kill plateau and the 13th player to earn 1,000 career digs, making her the fifth player in program history to reach both milestones. Anderson finished the 2022 campaign third in service aces with 167, seventh in kills with 1,231, and 10th in digs with 1,106 all-time.

The 2023 schedule will be released at a later date. For more information, go to our website at USIScreamingEagles.com or find us on social media at USIAthletics