Bryant & Stratton College-Milwaukee issued the following announcement on Dec. 8
Wisconsin Athletics has named Todd Gray as its head men's volleyball coach for the inaugural season starting in spring 2023.
Bobcats men's volleyball will be the first junior college program in Wisconsin. The program will compete at the NJCAA Division I level, which gives the opportunity to offer athletic scholarships to student athletes.
Gray will lead the launch, recruitment and development of the Bobcats men's volleyball program on and off the court.
"What an honor it is to be selected as the Men's Volleyball Coach at Bryant & Stratton College for the inaugural season, Gray said. "I am excited about the opportunity to building a tradition of excellence for the program this year and for years to come."
Gray has coached JV boys at Whitefish Bay High School and was head coach at Waukesha North from 2018-20. He also created and directed the United Boys Youth Volleyball Club and has coached boys and girls club for the Midwest Penguins and Pewaukee Volleyball Club.
Volleyball is the fastest growing team sport in the United States for high school boys. The NJCAA recognized men's volleyball as an emerging sport and sanctioned the sport for competition starting in 2022. More than 80 universities have added men's volleyball in the last five years – mostly at the NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA levels, and now at the two-year college level.
"This is a great opportunity for Bryant & Stratton to attract young men to compete in NJCAA volleyball while having the opportunity to receive a scholarship while pursuing a degree," Bryant & Stratton Athletic Director Greg Brandner said. "Wisconsin has a strong collegiate men's club volleyball circuit and the high school and club programs continues to grow. We are very excited to have Todd Gray as the newest member to the Bobcats team to get us started and continue to grow the sport."
Bryant & Stratton College, along with 14 other junior colleges, received a $10,000 grant earlier this year from the NJCAA Foundation and First Point Volleyball Foundation to start a men's volleyball program. The grant will help support the launch of the program including a coach's salary, uniforms and equipment.
"The ability to create more opportunities for student-athletes to compete in college and take part in a growing sport is one of the ultimate wins the NJCAA Foundation can achieve," said Brian Luckett, NJCAA Foundation Executive Director. "We are appreciative of First Point Volleyball Foundation for making this possible and the NJCAA member colleges who have stepped up to make history by bringing back men's volleyball to the association."
First Point Volleyball Foundation has been dedicated to growing volleyball across all levels, ages and demographics.
"I can say we are so proud to be able to support the NJCAA and these 15 institutions starting men's volleyball," said Mick Haley, First Point Volleyball Foundation volunteer board member and AVCA Hall of Famer. A former men's volleyball coach at Kellogg Community College (MI), Haley led the program to four NJCAA national championships, back when the sport was sponsored, before stints as head women's coach at the University of Texas, University of Southern California, and the 2000 US Women's Olympic Team in Sydney. "Two-year colleges present the most affordable opportunity for young people to play college volleyball during a time when students want to stay closer to home," Haley continued. "Our hope at First Point is to see 35 or 40 more two-year colleges follow these 15 and sponsor men's volleyball."
"As we work to prepare for the Tokyo Olympic Games, all of us at USA Volleyball are excited by this awesome news of 15 newly announced men's collegiate volleyball programs at two-year colleges," stated John Speraw, First Point Volleyball Foundation Founder and volunteer Chairman and head coach of the US Men's National Team and UCLA Men's Volleyball.
"I suspect it won't be long before an NJCAA athlete will play for Team USA," Speraw said.
Bryant & Stratton currently offers women's indoor volleyball and women's beach volleyball. The addition of men's volleyball, along with women's flag football in fall 2022, will bring Bobcats Athletics sports offering to 22 programs.
Gray played collegiately as an outside hitter for the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee men's volleyball team while earning his degree in bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Gray resides in the City of Pewaukee with his wife Alexis and his children Brendan, Alyssa, and Ethan.
The Bobcats men's volleyball program is recruiting for the 2023 season. Interested recruits should visit bscbobcats.com and fill out a recruitment form.
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