Blue Hawk volleyball coach resigns

• Former DSU volleyball Ryan Platt

Press Photo by Dustin Monke Ryan Platt, back, watches a Dickinson State volleyball player serve during a match against Jamestown College on Oct. 16 at Scott Gymnasium. Platt resigned as DSU’s head volleyball coach on Thursday after three seasons in the position.

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Dickinson State is looking for a new volleyball coach after parting ways with Ryan Platt.

Platt resigned from his position Thursday, less than a week after the NAIA put the Blue Hawk volleyball team on probation for the 2011-12 school year after using a student-athlete that did not meet the NAIA’s academic requirements last season.

Platt, who coached DSU the past three seasons and guided the Blue Hawks to a share of the Dakota Athletic Conference regular-season championship this fall, said he wants to continue coaching but will pursue different avenues that will allow him to obtain his master’s degree.

The Blue Hawks finished the 2010 season with a 21-13 record and reached the DAC tournament championship match. In his first two seasons, Platt’s teams had a combined 16-38 record.

“I was asked to come here and rebuild the program. I feel it’s been done,” Platt said. “With what’s coming back next year, I think they’re going to be very good, if not better.”

DSU issued a three-paragraph press release late Friday morning stating that Platt had resigned.

“We thank Mr. Platt for his service to DSU and the women’s volleyball program,” DSU interim athletic director Tim Daniel said in the release. “We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”

Daniel said he would not comment further on the details of Platt’s resignation.

An NAIA representative said Friday afternoon that the DSU volleyball team had been placed on probation earlier this week.

According to the NAIA website, probation does not deny postseason participation. The NAIA did not signify whether or not DSU will have to forfeit any matches because of the violations.

Platt said the violations had only a slight influence on his resignation.

“Maybe in the back of my mind a little bit,” Platt said.

There was also an issue during the season regarding the eligibility of underclassmen and redshirt players who participated in “junior varsity” matches.

Platt said the eligibility issue has been handled while Daniel said he could not comment on the matter.

“Nobody lost any eligibility at all,” Platt said.

DSU players said they were shocked when Platt called a team meeting Wednesday and announced he would be resigning by the end of the week.

“Everybody is kind of confused right now,” said Ruth Johnson, an all-DAC outside hitter. “That’s really all you can do in a situation like this. The girls are definitely supporting each other, which is good.”

Junior setter Whitley Abrahamson said the team has decided to continue its offseason routine as it originally had been planned.

“We’re just trying to stick together as a team and really emphasize that even though we’re missing an intricate part, we’re all going to stick together and maintain our spring season as if we did have a coach.”

With a team full of players he recruited returning, Platt said it will be painful not to see next season through to the end.

“I’m going to miss the girls a lot,” Platt said. “Training some of these girls for three years, I really care a lot about them.”

Daniel said DSU is in the process of beginning its national search for a new head coach.

“It’s in our benefit to complete the search as fast as possible,” Daniel said.

Tags: blue hawks, ryan platt, volleyball, college