Josh Davis has been named head volleyball coach at Linfield College, succeeding retiring coach Shane Kimura. The appointment was announced Wednesday by Linfield director of athletics Dr. Garry Killgore.
 
Davis comes to Linfield after two years as head coach at the University of California-Santa Cruz.
 
"We are really excited to welcome Josh Davis to the Linfield community and to our athletic family," said Killgore. "The volleyball players who had the opportunity to interact with our candidates absolutely loved Josh's demeanor and presence. They are really excited about our volleyball future. I am excited about his background in kinesiology and his coaching and life experiences. I think he is a great fit for us at this point in the trajectory of Linfield."
 
"I want to thank Garry Killgore and the search committee for this great opportunity," said Davis. "Every person whom I have met at Linfield has made me feel welcome and I'm eager to begin collaboration with the athletic department and college community."
 
Davis said his short-term goal is to return the Wildcats to the top of the Northwest Conference. His long-term vision is to develop a nationally ranked, championship-contending program.
 
"Linfield has had a long-standing tradition in not just volleyball, but in athletics as a whole. I'm extremely excited to begin competing at the highest level within the conference while continuing the excellence of Wildcat Athletics."
 
In addition to his two years as head coach at UC-Santa Cruz, Davis has extensive coaching experience as an assistant, most recently at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (2015), Occidental College (2014), and Calvin College (2012-13).
 
He graduated from Calvin in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and went on to earn a master's degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University-Irvine.
 
At Calvin, he served as a volunteer student assistant coach, supporting a program that won two Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships and the 2013 NCAA Division III national title.
 
Davis spent one year as an intern with the Michigan Volleyball Academy's 16 Silver National team and served as head club coach at Cal State-Fullerton for two years while completing his master's degree.
 
He began his coaching career as a student assistant with the Sioux Falls Christian High School (South Dakota) girls volleyball team, guiding the team to a state title in 2007 and a fourth-place finish in 2008. From 2007 until 2009, he coached the Sioux Falls AAU freshman volleyball team.
 
As a men's volleyball player, Davis started at libero on the Calvin men's club team in 2009. In 2010, he transferred to Bethel University where he was the starting defensive specialist and backup setter, helping lead the team to a top 10 finish in the National Collegiate Volleyball Federation. In the fall of 2011, he returned to Calvin and helped lead his team reach the national tournament for the first time in school history, finishing with a top-25 finish in 2014.
 
Davis becomes the second head coach to lead the Linfield volleyball program over the last four decades. Kimura directed the Wildcats for 40 seasons, winning 666 matches.
 
Linfield won 11 of 23 matches last season, tying for seventh place in the Northwest Conference with a 5-11 league record. Twelve players who saw significant playing time during 2017 are eligible to return to the court in time for fall workouts. Two returning Wildcats, Kayla Magbaleta and Destyni Grace, received Northwest Conference all-star recognition in 2017.
 
As he hits the recruiting trail, Davis said he plans to "expand the brand and name of Linfield volleyball throughout the West Coast. I wish to continue my recruiting networking base and increase the athleticism within the program."
 
Prospective student-athletes interested in joining the Linfield volleyball program are encouraged to contact Davis at jdavis8@linfield.edu and fill out the online prospective student-athlete form.