Aquinas College Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Athletics
Nick Davidson has announced the addition of Michael Crane to the Saints' athletic department on Friday (Aug. 23). Crane has been tabbed as the new AQ head men's volleyball coach and will begin his duties at Aquinas next week.
While Crane will take over a Saints program that is entering its second season of competition, he is very familiar with coaching a recently formed college team. Crane began the men's volleyball programs at both of his previous college coaching stops, doing so at NCAA Division I volleyball-playing institutions Alderson Broaddus University from 2011 to 2013 and University of Charleston from 2013 to 2016.
"Michael has some great experience in building two college programs and starting them both from scratch," mentioned Davidson. "He really impressed us with his leadership ability and how he was able to recruit high-level and high-profile student-athletes at his previous institutions. We're looking forward to having Michael connect with our student-athletes and continue the success that our men's volleyball team had in its first season."
At both of the West Virginia schools, Crane handled all aspects of beginning and running a program, including recruiting potential students, scheduling, managing a budget, fundraising, scouting opponents, creating practice and travel plans, and other facets of coaching at the college level.
He most recently served as the varsity girls volleyball coach at Reeths-Puffer High School in Muskegon. Crane is a former NAIA athlete who played volleyball, as well as tennis and soccer, at Trinity International University and Trinity Christian College.
"My family and I are overjoyed to be joining the Aquinas family," said Crane. "After a long search for the right place to call home, the culture at Aquinas aligns perfectly with our family values. We look forward to helping advance the Aquinas culture, and of course we cannot wait for volleyball season with an extraordinary group of young men as we look to improve upon a remarkable season last year. Let's go Saints!"
In 2019 – the inaugural season for AQ men's volleyball – the Saints made an incredible run to the NAIA National Championship match, finishing the year with a 31-5 overall record and the #2 national ranking.
