GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - After five years at the helm of the Davenport University women's volleyball team, Brian Netzler is stepping down as the head coach and his final day with the program will be on Saturday, April 13. The announcement was made by Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Paul Lowden, on Friday (April 12) afternoon. 

"Brian has been instrumental in building a very competitive program in the GLIAC the past five seasons," Lowden said. "This was a very tough decision for Brian as he loves DU, but he knew he needed to make a personal change to spend more valuable time with his loved ones. We will miss his dedication and commitment to his student-athletes, our athletic department and the university. We hope that we can find a new leader to build on the strong tradition that Brian has created at DU."

Through five seasons, Netzler finished with an overall record of 72-62, guiding the squad to four straight GLIAC Tournament appearances (2020-23). Netzler's student-athletes totaled 15 All-GLIAC honors, three All-Region nods and a pair of All-American selections. He also coached the 2022 Midwest Player of the Year, Hayley Kreiger, who was also the first volleyball All-American of DU's NCAA Division II era (fourth all-time). 

He increased his winning percentage in each of his first four seasons, before having his best season with the Panthers in 2022. During the 2022 campaign, Davenport finished 22-9 overall, while going 13-5 in GLIAC play. The Panthers finished third in the GLIAC regular season standings, the highest since joining the conference ahead of the 2017 academic year.

The University will immediately begin its search for the next head coach of the program and interested candidates can use the link below to apply.

https://davenport.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/17/home/requisition/2670?c=davenport