Ole Miss Tabs Steven McRoberts To Lead Volleyball Program

Former Tulsa Head Coach Becomes Seventh Coach In Program History 

OXFORD, Miss. – A 10-time conference coach of the year with 475 wins to his credit, Steven McRoberts has been named the seventh head coach of the Ole Miss volleyball program, athletics director Ross Bjork announced Thursday.  McRoberts will be formally introduced in Oxford on Thursday, Jan 23.
“I am very thankful to Ross and (Executive Associate Athletics Director) Lynnette (Johnson) for giving me this opportunity to work at such a great university,” McRoberts said.  “I am looking forward to getting here and evaluating the team. Our goals are to make Ole Miss competitive in the top half of the Southeastern Conference and to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.  There are some talented players here, and it’s our job to come in here and train them and get the most out of them that we can.”
McRoberts comes to Ole Miss with a lengthy list of accolades in his 17 years as a head coach at Lubbock Christian University, Central Arkansas and most recently Tulsa.  He has compiled a career record of 475-163 (.745 winning percentage), including six seasons with 30-plus wins and 15 seasons with 20-plus wins.
“We could not be more thrilled to announce Steven McRoberts as our new head volleyball coach,” Bjork said.  “Steven’s programs have won 75 percent of the matches he has coached at the collegiate level, and his championship attitude ‘won the day’ during our recruiting process.  Each step of the way, Steven has showcased he is more than a volleyball coach, and he has built a strong culture of support in the community and developed young women in the classroom and socially.  Simply put, Steven is the right fit for Ole Miss volleyball, and we are ecstatic about the future of our program under his leadership. We believe we can build a highly competitive and entertaining volleyball program and make the Gillom Center a destination for Rebel fans.”
At Tulsa, McRoberts compiled a 78-24 record with two Conference USA regular season titles, a Conference USA Tournament Championship and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
This past season, McRoberts coached Tulsa to a 24-7 overall record (12-2 C-USA).
In his second year at Tulsa, McRoberts led the Hurricane to a 26-10 ledger and a 14-2 conference mark. TU won the 2012 C-USA regular season and tournament championship, as the Hurricane made its second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament under McRoberts.
In 2011, his first season as head coach of the Golden Hurricane, TU posted a 28-7 overall record, 18-2 in league play, and won the C-USA Championship. He was named C-USA and AVCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year.  The team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
While leading the Golden Hurricane, McRoberts coached five All-America selections, including the NCAA’s career leader in kills during the 25-point rally scoring era, and the school’s all-time digs leader.  He also coached the C-USA player of the year and the libero of the year in 2011 and 2012.
Prior to his appointment at Tulsa, McRoberts served six years as head coach at the University of Central Arkansas, where he compiled a record of 146-58, and won at least 20 games in five of those seasons. His last two teams won back-to-back Southland Conference regular season titles and posted a 31-1 league mark during that stretch.  McRoberts was named Southland Conference Coach of the Year in 2008, 2009 and 2010.  He coached the SLC player and setter of the year those three years and also boasted the league freshman of the year in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010 and the libero of the year in 2009.
In 2013, McRoberts was one of seven coaches named to the Southland Conference All-Time Honor Roll.
Before taking the reins at UCA, McRoberts compiled a 251-82 record during his eight-year tenure at Lubbock Christian University in Texas.  His teams won seven conference championships and three region championships in eight years.  McRoberts led LCU to its highest national ranking (4th), highest postseason finish (T5th), and most wins in a season (38) and career (251). Six times he was named Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and three times he earned Region Coach of the Year honors.
McRoberts received his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a minor in social studies and health from Harding (Ark.) University in 1993, and his master’s in physical education from Henderson State (Ark.) in 1996.
McRoberts and his wife, Stacy, have three children: sons, Jackson and Nathaniel, and daughter, Mollie.
“On behalf of our entire athletics program, we welcome Steven, Stacy, Jackson, Nathaniel and Mollie to the Ole Miss family,” Bjork said.
–Ole Miss Sports Information