Ashley Coyle enters her eighth season as the head coach of the SUNY Oneonta women’s volleyball program in 2024.
The 2023 season saw senior Ashanti Davis pick up All-SUNYAC Third Team honors. Additionally, Davis and sophomore Gianna May were College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District.
In Coyle’s 2019 campaign, Oneonta returned to the SUNYAC Conference tournament, went 8-2 at home in Alumni Field House, and posted the highest winning percentage (.719) since 1989. The Red Dragons capped the season with an impressive 23-9 record, which was its most wins since the 2006 season, went 6-3 in conference play, and advanced to the semifinals of the SUNYAC tournament. Coyle coached Clara Culeton, who ended her junior year as an Honorable Mention All-American, becoming only the third player in program history to be recognized and the first since 2004. In addition to All-American Honors, Coyle has coached a pair of All-Region players (Culeton and Jessica Fowler) and SUNYAC All-Conference Team Members.
In addition to the on-court success, Coyle’s team has earned AVCA Team Academic honors for four consecutive seasons. In 2020, ten players earned a spot on the SUNYAC Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll.
Coyle joined the coaching staff at SUNY Oneonta in March of 2017 after spending two seasons as the assistant volleyball coach at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. Previously, she was an assistant with St. Lawrence University for two years (2013-15).
At both the Coast Guard Academy and St. Lawrence, Coyle was actively involved in all aspects of the volleyball program. At both stops, Coyle coached All-Conference, All-Region and All-American players. While at St. Lawrence, she also served as an assistant compliance officer for the Saints’ Division I men’s and women’s ice hockey programs
Coyle is no stranger to the SUNYAC Conference. During her career at SUNY Cortland, Coyle enjoyed a winning percentage of .838 with a combined record of 140-27, highlighted by a 42-2 season and an NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 2011 where Ashley led the Red Dragons with 3.29 kills/set, 71 service aces, and 3.31 digs/set. She finished her career with 1,803 kills (2nd in school history), 1,778 digs (4th in school history), and 614 single season kills during her sophomore season (1st in school history).
Coyle's list of awards includes being a three-time AVCA All American, three-time SUNYAC conference champion, 2011 NCAA regional champion, being named first team all-conference three times, two time SUNYAC East Division Player of the Year, three time SUNYAC all-tournament team, and in 2011 Ashley was named the SUNYAC All Tournament MVP as well as the NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player. Along with her on court accomplishments, Coyle earned a spot on the Dean’s List in 2010, 2011, and 2012.
Coyle is originally from Orange County, New York and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology from SUNY Cortland and her Master of Education in Educational Leadership from St. Lawrence University.
More About Coach Coyle
Coaching Philosophy: “My coaching philosophy is simple: I care about my student-athletes in their lives and work with them to be the best version of themselves. I want to push them when they need to be pushed, love them when they need to be loved, and authentically work with them to continually grow from every situation they endure in their college years. Also, I believe in creating a competitive environment where we work hard and stay disciplined in our execution of skills, while understanding there is always a place and time for fun. Competing is fun! So, blending the elements of staying focused on the consistency of our skill set and finding opportunities to really enjoy each other and our sport is where I believe our team thrives.”
Recruiting Philosophy: “Find the right people to enhance our program: in the classroom and on the court. We want players that are committed to their personal success and the success of the entire program. Off the court, we want players who are positive, competitive, coachable, and resilient in their pursuit to excel in our program. “We want student-athletes that understand that being a student-athlete is a true honor. We want them to proudly wear ‘Oneonta’ on their jersey because they know it represents being a part of a program that allows you to pursue their passion and compete at a high level.” Coach Coyle loves finding players that have a “refuse to lose” mentality and are willing to fight for every point of practice and games. “Volleyball is a game where those who are mentally tough are able to bounce back after every point and endure the give-and-take dance in a match. No matter the score, players that can remain focused on the next point, fight for every opportunity to score, and work collaboratively with their teammates will fit in our system perfectly.”
Why Division 3: “Division 3 means everything to me—it is where I prospered as a student-athlete and found the importance of finding balance in all realms of my life. Everything you do at the D3 level transcends from court-to-classroom and ultimately, to how you conduct your everyday actions. At D3, your sport enhances your other experiences and does not take away from what you want to pursue in your four-years. You’re encouraged to be your best at all and are given the support to be the best.”
