Dan Gwitt Named Miami University’s Head Volleyball Coach

Posted on by Ethan Kasales

Dan Gwitt was named Miami University’s head volleyball coach Monday evening after spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Penn State.

Gwitt, an Eden, New York, native who was a member of the Penn State men’s volleyball team, takes over the RedHawks’ program following the retirement of Carolyn Condit, who stepped down after 40 seasons as Miami’s head coach. Following Russ Rose’s retirement after the 2021 season, Condit became the longest-tenured active Division I women’s volleyball head coach.

“The uniqueness of Miami’s program is undeniable, and the legacy forged by Coach Condit sets a standard I am committed to maintaining,” Gwitt said in a press release. “Assuming the mantle from a coaching legend is no small feat, but I am dedicated to working tirelessly to preserve the esteemed traditions established during her tenure and propel this program back to greatness.”

Gwitt will be introduced as Miami’s fifth head coach in program history at a press conference in Oxford, Ohio, this Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. Gwitt helped the Nittany Lions make consecutive trips to the Sweet 16 in 2022-23 during the first two years of Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s tenure as Penn State’s head coach.

After going 13-9 during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign played in spring 2021, the RedHawks are coming off three straight losing seasons, going 19-68 during that stretch. Prior to joining Schumacher-Cawley’s staff, Gwitt spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Indiana under Steve Aird.

Gwitt is known for his recruiting prowess, which will help the RedHawks begin to rebuild their program in the MAC, where they finished in last place in the conference the past two seasons. Gwitt’s ability to teach blocking and serving, among other skills, has also helped establish him as a rising star in the coaching industry. He presented at the 2023 AVCA Coaching Convention in Tampa, Florida, last December in a session titled, “Serving with Intent and Confidence.”

Almost immediately after graduating with his bachelor’s degree in communication arts and sciences, Gwitt began his coaching career in 2007 at Centenary College in Shreveport, Louisiana, taking over as the program’s interim head coach before being elevated to the full-time position for three seasons. He was the youngest Division I women’s volleyball head coach at the time, coaching more than 70 matches by the age of 24. The program has since joined the Division III ranks.

Gwitt served as the director of operations for TCA Volleyball Club in Newport Beach, California, from 2009-16 before taking the same role at Momentous Volleyball Club in Irvine, California, from 2016-18. Gwitt joined fellow Penn State men’s volleyball alumnus Steve Aird’s staff at Indiana in February 2018 after Aird arrived in Bloomington following four seasons as head coach at Maryland.

Gwitt will join former Penn State women’s volleyball player Darcy Dorton in the MAC, as Dorton is entering her second season as an assistant coach at Ball State following eight seasons (four as head coach) at Eastern Michigan. Dorton wrapped up her collegiate career at College of Charleston after winning a pair of NCAA national championships (2009-10) and the 2009 Big Ten Freshman of the Year at Penn State.

The departure of Gwitt means Schumacher-Cawley and Penn State’s athletic department have begun the process of searching for his replacement, as the NCAA allowed Division I women’s volleyball programs to hire a third full-time assistant coach prior to the 2023 season. The Nittany Lions currently have assistant coaches Brian Toron and Megan Hodge Easy on staff. Hodge, a 2010 graduate of Penn State and one of the most decorated players in program history, was hired on June 30, 2023.

“I have unwavering belief in the values and representation of this school, and I am confident that the right players will be drawn to become a part of this outstanding program and university,” Gwitt said of Miami. “We have everything we need here to be successful, and I am excited to assemble the rest of the staff and get to work.”