| 07/18/05–
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JAGUAR VOLLEYBALL ASSISTANT CHRIS LAIRD NAMED
NEW HEAD COACH AT NICHOLLS STATE
CONTACT:
Kevin Beasley
MOBILE,
Ala. - University of South Alabama women's volleyball head
coach Nicole Keshock announced Monday that assistant coach Chris
Laird has accepted the head coaching job at Nicholls State University
in the Southland Conference.
Laird leaves
USA for NSU after two seasons as the assistant. His duties at South
Alabama included recruiting, skills training, and scouting. He also
headed the Junior Olympic Volleyball Club for girls for Mobile and
the surrounding areas.
"First
of all, I am very appreciative of the opportunity that coach Keshock
and the administration gave me here at South Alabama to excel and
learn," said Laird. "I know coach Keshock will do a phenominal
job next year with the kids that we have coming in, because they
have come to South Alabama to win. Mobile has been a great place
and I wish USA the best of luck next season."
Prior to coming
to USA, Laird had had eight years of previous coaching experience.
He began his career as a student assistant coach at Southern Miss
for the 1995 and 1996 seasons.
After graduating
from USM in 1997, Laird spent a year as assistant coach at the University
of Alabama-Huntsville for the 1997 season, before returning to Southern
Miss from 1998-2001. While at Southern Miss, Laird was the recruiting
coordinator, while also overseeing practices, scheduling, film exchange,
and the summer camps, duties he also performed as the assistant
at UAH.
"Myself
and our team are sad to see Chris go,"said Keshock. "He
was the type of assistant that you could trust with all aspects
of the program, where it be running practice or whatever and that
is hard to find. He is certainly going to be tough to replace. When
Chris first came here, I knew his goals were to eventually become
a head coach. I believe he is ready to be a head coach and have
his own program."
Before accepting
the South Alabama position, Laird was the assistant coach at Pensacola
Junior College.
Laird replaces
Erin Brown, who accepted the job in May and then resigned in June
to accept a job at Lewis and Clark State College in Idaho.
The search to
find Laird's replacement is scheduled to start immediately.
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