Diers resigns as Fairfield coach

FAIRFIELD ¬? For the first time in 30 years and the second time in program history, the Fairfield Trojans will look for a new head volleyball coach, as Nancy Diers has resigned from the position.

?It?s been a decision I?ve been weighing the past two or three years,? said Diers. ?My initial thought was that I?d possibly give it up when [my son] Mark started with seventh-grade athletics. But his schedules and mine matched up and I was able to make it to all his cross-country stuff in the fall. So, I thought, ?Well, we?ll see how his freshman year goes.

?I had mentioned to my family that I thought I was going to be done, and they thought 29 was a stupid number to end on, so I went to 30 and accomplished some other goals I had.?

Diers started with the program in 1986 after the program?s founder Judy Schwartz moved to Burlington. Her overall match record is 623-288-49, with a Southeast Conference record of 213-43. Her teams won 15 conference championships, nine regional titles and appeared in the state tournament in 1986, 2002 and 2008.

Over those 30 years, her players have earned 220 all-conference recognitions, including first-team, second-team and honorable mention status.

?Nancy will be a hard person to replace, to say the least,? said Fairfield Athletic Director Jeff Courtright. ?She?s a rock star of a coach. She has all the strong attributes you desire in her passion, dedication, care for the kids. She gets everybody involved. We?ve finished first or second in the conference, very consistent, for every one of her 30 years.

?We?ll look for that same kind of drive and passion from that next candidate.?

Despite that success, Diers felt there needed to be some change within the program.

?There are other ways of coaching out there,? she said. ?It?s not that what I do is wrong, but it?s time to let someone else come in and do it differently. I thought it was time for Fairfield to have something different. I?m happy with my decision and it?s just time to move to a new page.

?One of the reasons I felt good about being able to step down was that this program is in very good shape and the athletes coming through are stellar kids, academically and athletically.?

The Trojans went 33-4 last season, including an undefeated tour through the Southeast Conference. Junior Shelby Heston and freshman Kara Jeffrey, the team leaders in kills, return next season offensively for Fairfield, while the Trojans? backcourt will be anchored by librero Kaylee Watson.