Brian Hofman named AVCA Division III National Assistant Coach of the Year

Brian Hofman

By Steven Wright

ADA — Brian Hofman has been named the Division III National Assistant Volleyball Coach of the Year according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

This is the organization's inaugural award for National Assistant Coach of the Year.

Hofman is in his 17th season as an assistant coach for the Ohio Northern volleyball team and focuses primarily as a middle hitters coach.

Under his tutelage Ohio Northern middle hitters have had great success, most notably three-time AVCA All-American Liz Schnelle who recently finished her career with the most kills in the history of ONU and the Ohio Athletic Conference (2,222).

This season, Hofman helped guide the Ohio Northern volleyball team to the Great Lakes Regional Final, a No. 4 ranking in the AVCA poll and its fourth straight OAC Tournament Championship.

At ONU, he also is the junior varsity coach, an Assistant Athletics Director and is an Associate Professor in the department of Human Performances and Sports Sciences.

Hofman also organized and coaches the ONU men's club volleyball team. There he has led the Polar Bears to a NIRSA Small Club National Championship in 2007 and a national runner-up finish in 2004.