VOLLEYBALL COACH

Head Coach: John Tuttle

In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, The College at Brockport boasted was one of Division III’s most recognizable and successful volleyball programs.  SUNYAC titles and NCAA appearances were gathered on almost a yearly basis.  But after suffering through three losing seasons in four years, John Tuttle was hired in 1999 as the first step in returning the program to national prominence.

Tuttle did just that, and after seven seasons at the helm the Golden Eagles are again regarded as one of the best in the Northeast.  He led the team to its first NCAA appearance since 1994 with a trip to the national tournament as an at-large bid in 2006. The squad finished with 27 wins - the most since Tuttle’s first year when the team won 29 matches – and advanced to the Great Lakes Regional of the NCAA Division III Tournament in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The 2006 squad rebounded from a sluggish start by rattling off 23 wins in 24 matches during a midseason stretch, during which Tuttle eclipsed the 150-win plateau with a victory over D’Youville on October 4.  His overall record at Brockport stands at 199-129 heading into the 2009 campaign.

Under Tuttle, 24 players have earned All-SUNYAC honors including two first-year players of the year and the 2006 and 2007 SUNYAC West Player of the Year in Kaylen Fessette.  After earning the conference’s top honor, Fessette, a junior setter, went on to earn All-America honors – the first such honor for a Brockport player since 1994. In 2008, Alyssa Fitchette garnered All-America honors.

The Golden Eagles have won at least a share of the SUNYAC Western Division in nine of the last 10 years and completed an unblemished 8-0 conference record in 2006 for the first time since Tuttle’s first season.

Before joining the Brockport staff, Tuttle compiled an outstanding 133-43 record in nine years as the head volleyball coach at Rush-Henrietta High School.  He also led his team to six Monroe County League titles, five Monroe County Championships, and ended the season at the top of the state rankings on four occasions.  Tuttle served as an assistant at RIT from 1988-90 and 1992-94 prior to moving on to the high school level.  He helped the Tigers to the NCAA final four and a number-three national ranking in 1993.  He also coached the 18-and-under elite team with the Primo Volleyball Club in 1993-94.

In addition to his coaching experiences, Tuttle spent time as manager of “Hot Shots Volleyball” for 10 years.  He was responsible for scheduling leagues six nights a week for approximately 450 teams in each 10-week session; training and supervising a staff of 30 referees; serving as the head clinician responsible for teaching adults the sport of volleyball; and providing team-building opportunities for local corporations. This past summer, Tuttle competed for the gold medal winning team in the Masters Division of the Empire State Games for the second straight year.
        
A 2003 physical education graduate of The College at Brockport, Tuttle resides in Rochester with his wife, Sandi, who played volleyball at Brockport and graduated in 1983.  Tuttle currently teaches physical education at Crane Elementary School in the Rush-Henrietta School District.

Assistant Coach: Bethany Schlegel

Bethany Schlegel begins her first season on the sidelines as an assistant coach, after spending the last four seasons as the libero on the court for the Golden Eagles. In a Brockport uniform, she played 512 games, totaling 1,774 digs which places her second on the all-time career chart. Her 681 digs in the 2007 season is a school record and the 515 digs she totaled her senior season stands third on the list. Schlegel was named to the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) all-conference 1st team for the west division in 2008, after earning second team honors in 2007. She was a three-time tea m captain that led the Golden Eagles to an 84-64 overall record and 32-4 in SUNYAC west-division play,  four straight SUNYAC Tournaments and was part of the 2006 squad that earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Off the court, Schlegel excelled in the classroom and was recognized an eight time member of the Dean’s List, four time member of the SUNYAC all-academic team, two-time member of the SUNYAC Commissioner’s list and earned the 2008 SUNYAC Chancellors Award for Excellence in volleyball. The Lancaster, NY native graduated summe cum laude in May 2009 with a Bachelor of Science degree physical education and health science.

As a coach, Schlegel has spent three years working with the club volleyball for Volley FX in Rochester and she has worked a variety of camps in the Buffalo and Brockport areas during the summer months.