Angelo State University Women's Volleyball

Waddington, who is entering his ninth season as head coach in 2016, has guided the Belles to the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championships finals for the third time in school history, its first Lone Star Conference regularseason title since 1992 and its seventh LSC Championship Tournament win. He was named the conference's 2012 Coach of the Year and has helped Alex Woolsey, Maddie Huth, Maggi Jo Keffury, Shelbi Goode, Shelby Wilt, Katie MacLeay and Mallory Blauser towards earning All-America honors. He has accumulated 197 overall wins, 101 Lone Star Conference victories, six straight LSC Tournament championship game appearances and the programs first NCAA Division II postseason victories in 20 years. Leading the team into the NCAA DII Regional Playoffs for the past five consecutive years and the regional finals in 2012 and 2013, Waddington and the Belles returned to the South Central Regional finals in 2015 as they played host to the regional tournament for the first time in program history. I think we are progressing in the direction to be a national contender every year, said Waddington, who is ASUs fifth head coach since the program was started in 1976. We are a program that is approaching the level where we will be competing for national championships very soon. We want to start moving up the national ladder and become a consistent program that is always in the top-10 and competing for that top spot. He has coached nine All-Americans at Angelo State in the last four years, 21 players who have been honored by the LSC for their play in the regular season, 27 All-LSC Tournament selections and 10 AVCA All-South Central Region selections. Waddington and the Belles hosted the South Central Regional Tournament for the first time in program history in 2015 after defeating Tarleton State in five sets in the LSC tournament final. The win marked the first time since 1992 that the Belles were LSC Tournament Champions. Hosting the regional in the Junell Center, Angelo State started of strong by defeating Regis University in four sets and then topping Colorado School of Mines in five sets to advance to the to a regional final for the first time since 2013 and the third time since 2008. The Belles season then ended in heartbreak as they fell in five sets to Arkansas-Ft. Smith in the regional final, losing the final set 15-13. The Belles finished its season with a 33-6 overall record which was the teams best finish since 1992. It also posted a 14-2 conference record, a 14-1 home record, and the No. 21 ranking in the AVCAs final poll of 2015. Previous to his success in San Angelo, Waddington spent five years as the assistant coach at Florida Southern College where he helped guide the Moccasins to five straight NCAA Division II National Tournament appearances. ASU is 118-52 under Waddingtons leadership and reached the NCAA Tournament in 2011 an accomplishment that the program had not experienced in 19 seasons. The Belles beat St. Edwards at the South Central Regional (in Warrensburg, Miss.) for its first national tournament win in 20 seasons and have advanced to the LSC tournament every year since his arrival in San Angelo. Angelo State has consistently improved and excelled in conference play under Waddington. The team went 8-5 in LSC play in his first year in 2008, 10-3 in his second year, 12-2 in 2010, 17-3 in 2012 and 14-2 in 2015. I want our success to be looked at as business as usual but also for it to be remembered as a really fun time, Waddington said. Thats the approach I have to winning in the postseason and want our programs mentality to be. We are never going to lower our expectations because we are afraid we cant achieve something. Were just going to work that much harder to achieve it. Waddington began his coaching career with a one-year stint at Fulton-Montgomery Community College in Johnstown, N.Y., before serving six years as the head coach at Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, Fla. During his tenure at BVHS, the volleyball team went 127-58, claimed five district titles, advanced to the Class 3A semifinals and he earned the districts coach of the year all six seasons. It was from Bishop Verot that Waddington took his coaching passion to Florida Southern. The Moccasins were 136-44 during the five years the Belles head coach was there. He mentored 20 All-Sunshine State Conference honorees, 15 all-region selections, 10 All-Americans and six academic all-district performers. Also an experienced club volleyball coach, Waddington coached Junior Olympic Club Volleyball for six years in the Fort Myers area and was the club director for the Lakeland Area Volleyball Association in Lakeland, Fla. In the summers of 2006 and 2007, he was involved with the Team Florida USA Volleyball High Performance Program, coaching some of the top players in Florida. Waddington is an accomplished volleyball player both indoors and on the beach. His indoor teams have finished as high as 11th in the USA Volleyball Open National Championships and, on the beach, he has won several tournaments at the AA and open levels, including a co-ed 4s national championship in the mid-1990s. In 2006, Waddington was named the USAV Florida Region Outstanding Adult Male Player, fueled by an attitude he strives to instill in his teams. I would like my players to learn that the pursuit of excellence is not just something that happens in the gym, Waddington said. It carries over into everything that they do. I want them to understand the importance and challenges of building and maintaining relationships with their family and friends. I would also want my players to leave with a sense of self-confidence to help them achieve whatever goals they may set for themselves. During the offseason, Waddington serves as the director for the Belles Volleyball Camps, which runs the first week in June and the final week in July. The camps are for aspiring volleyball players ages 9-17, and provide instruction to all skill levels. Waddington uses everything as motivation from the challenge of coaching at Fulton-Montgomery where two of his seven players had never played before to feeling the disappointment of the Belles falling short by just two points in the NCAA DII regional final in 2015. Blending those past challenges and successes are components which make up Waddingtons coaching philosophy and the rising program he is guiding at Angelo State. I want our kids to work hard, be disciplined and have fun, Waddington said. As much as I take a business approach to coaching, it is really important to me that our players are happy and enjoying playing volleyball while here at Angelo State. We work hard every day, but we also enjoy what we are doing every day. A native of Johnstown, N.Y., Waddington earned his bachelors degree in physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (N.Y.) in 1993. He added his masters degree in education from Florida Southern in 2006. Waddington and his wife, Mandi, have a daughter, Bailey (17), a son, Jaxsen (10) and daughter, Riley (3).