Men's Volleyball
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach & Recruiting Coordinator
- Email:
- bates.592@osu.edu
- Phone:
- 380-222-9012
• Named Ohio State associate head coach in June 2019
• Also serves as the program’s recruiting coordinator
• Since 2020, the Buckeyes have gained commitments from 15 members of the Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 Boys roster, including three from the 2024 class: Ben Hutchinson, a 6-7 outside hitter from Indianapolis, Drew Hudson, a 6-1 Libero from Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Ian Nolte, a 6-5 outside hitter from Long Beach, California.
• Ohio State's 2025 roster also will have seven additional Fab 50 players from the 2021-23 classes: Grant Strong, Kyle Teune and Cole Young from the 2021 class, Dan Hurley, Jack O'Riordan and Shane Wetzel from the 2022 class and Tyler Tharpe from the 2023 class.
• In 2023 and 2024, Bates helped coach the Buckeyes to 23-10 and 22-9 records, a MIVA regular-season title in 2023 and MIVA tournament titles in both 2023 and 2024. Ohio State made both the 2023 and 2024 NCAA Tournaments in Fairfax, Virginia, and Long Beach, California.
• Came to Columbus with eight seasons of collegiate coaching experience
• Assistant coach for Virginia women’s volleyball for two seasons (2017-18)
• Started a men’s volleyball program at Marymount University (Arlington, Va.) in 2013
• Lifted Marymount from its inaugural season to a conference championship and top-10 (D-III) national ranking in just four years (2017)
• Long history of USA Volleyball coaching (involved since 2007), including his continuation as the Boys High Performance Coach
• Spent nearly a decade playing professionally both indoors and on the beach after a four-year college career at George Mason University (2005-08)
• Retired from the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour in 2016 after a nine-year stretch in the sand
• Member of the 2010 U.S. National Beach Team and donned the Stars & Stripes representing Team USA in multiple international FIVB tournaments over the years
• Indoors, Bates trained with the U.S. National Team from 2008-10 and competed professionally in the Puerto Rico Superior League and Qatar National League from 2008-12
• Served as George Mason volunteer coach during the 2009 season
• Two-time First Team EIVA All-East honoree
