Q&A With Todd Chamberlain, Assistant Volleyball Coach
March 24, 2010
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Todd Chamberlain is beginning his first year as assistant volleyball coach at the University of Kansas. A native of Louisville, Ky., Chamberlain played four years at Ball State where he earned All-Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association First Team honors.
Prior to his arrival at KU, Chamberlain was a volunteer assistant coach at Kentucky for the 2009 season. He has also has guided several teams to national and state titles. For two seasons Chamberlain worked as an assistant coach under Steve Shondell for Burris High School in Muncie, Ind. The Burris squad captured the 2-A state championship in both 2008 and 2009. Chamberlain also worked with Mike Lingerfelter as an assistant coach for the Munciana Samurai 18-1 Club team. That squad went on to capture not only the 2009 AAU national championship, but also the 2009 JVDA national championship.
What attracted you to the University of Kansas?
“The opportunity to coach in the Big 12. It is a competitive volleyball conference and Kansas has great tradition so it was a really good opportunity for me.”
What coaching qualities does head coach Ray Bechard possess that made you want to be a part of his staff?
“Well, besides the coaching stuff, he’s just a good guy. Outside of volleyball he is easy to talk with and someone you want to spend time around. I respect him, too. He has been successful at the college level and at the junior college level. I hear great things about him from everyone I talk to. I think he is somebody who is really good to look up to and someone I can aspire to be as a coach someday.”
What will you bring to the Jayhawk volleyball team?
“I think I bring a certain level of competitiveness. The players work really hard in the gym but I plan to push the players farther than they have gone in the past.”
What made you want to become a coach?
“I originally thought I wanted to teach and coach high school volleyball but I worked with a high school team and it didn’t really fit me. That is when I knew I wanted to coach a higher level of volleyball. Plus, I just really like volleyball and wanted to stay around the game and I like developing players.”
How has the team made you feel welcomed?
“The players have shown me that I’m welcome by listening to me. I don’t get eye rolls or anything like that after I tell them something. I think they understand that I have played and coached at a high level. I can tell that they are listening to things that I say and trying to put it to use.”
You were a four-year player at Ball State, do you still play competitively?
“I still play as much as I can. I have already looked into playing for a men’s club team in Lawrence. Any open weekends I’m playing as much as I can.”
What is your fondest memory from your college career?
“My junior year, during the Don Shondell/Active Ankle Challenge, we hosted UCLA, who was No. 3 in the country at the time, and we beat them on back-to-back nights. Ball State was still ranked No. 10 or 11 but UCLA was favored pretty heavily. We beat them both nights in front of about 4,000 people. That was probably the best win of my career.”
