Ole Miss volleyball head coach Steven McRoberts announced the addition of Russ Friedland to his staff last week.
“I’m thankful to be adding such a great coach this late in the summer,” McRoberts said of the hire. “Russ comes with a wealth of different coaching experiences and I know that he will bring some new ideas to our program that will help us improve immediately. His outgoing personality really stood out in his interview and the whole staff is excited to work with him in the office and on the court.”
Friedland arrives in Oxford from Louisiana Monroe, where he has spent the last 19 months at the helm for the Warhawks serving as head coach to both the indoor and beach volleyball teams. Prior to his stint in Monroe, Friedland was hailed as one of the nation’s top up-and-coming assistant coaches, providing an integral role in the turnaround of a stagnant East Carolina program.
“I am excited for the opportunity to work with the staff and players at Ole Miss. The SEC is a special place for athletics and I am so happy to get back into the league and join the Rebels,” Friedland said. “I want to thank Coach McRoberts, SWA Lynette Johnson and the whole support staff and players that I had the pleasure of meeting when I visited Oxford. There is a lot of support around this program and I am excited to add to this great program.”
While in Greenville, Friedland aided the Pirates to a single-season record in conference play with 13 wins in 2017, finishing with their first 20-win campaign since 2005 at 22-11.
Friedland is no stranger to being a Rebel or the Southeastern Conference, spending three seasons at UNLV and serving as a volunteer assistant at Tennessee before his time in Las Vegas. While at UNLV, Friedland primarily served as recruiting coordinator and helped guide the Rebels to nearly 60 wins in three seasons. In 2014, Friedland and the UNLV squad set single-season records for overall and conference wins at 26 and 14, respectively.
Ole Miss opens the season Aug. 30 in the Rebel Invitational with Rice, Iowa State and UCF.
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