By Steve Carpenter - Hutchinson CC Sports Information
HUTCHINSON, Kan. - Delice Downing has been hired as the 13th head volleyball coach at Hutchinson Community College.
Blue Dragon Athletic Director Josh Gooch introduced Downing at a news conference Thursday morning on the main floor of the Hutchinson Sports Arena
Downing succeeds Patrick Hall, who announced his resignation in early June after eight seasons, 201 victories and five national tournament appearances with the Blue Dragons.
"I'm very excited to be a part of the Blue Dragon Family," Downing said. "I am excited to get the ball rolling at this premiere community college. Being a champion is what it is all about and that is the mentality I want to bring to this team and program.
"I want all of my player who come into this program to leave with the full understanding that they are capable of accomplishing any goals they set."
Hutchinson's new head volleyball coach is a Jayhawk Conference veteran. From Atchison, Kansas, Downing played volleyball, basketball and softball at Coffeyville Community College (1998-2000). Then in 2005, Downing was hired as the Red Raven head volleyball coach.
Posting winning records in 14 of her 15 seasons at Coffeyville, Downing's last five seasons at Coffeyville have been stellar and spent at the nationally elite level.
Over the last five seasons, Downing's teams posted a 197-22 record. Coffeyville won back-to-back NJCAA Division II national volleyball championships in 2017 and 2018 with a national third-place finish in 2019.
The 2018 national title came without losing a set in four national tournament matches, going 40-3 overall. Among the awards Downing collected in 2018 were the NJCAA Division II Volleyball Championship Coach of the Tournament, AVCA Two-Year College Midwest Region Coaches of the Year, and the Division II Volleyball 2018 Tachikara NJCAA Division II Coach of the Year.
Downing's all-time record in 15 seasons at Coffeyville was 432-175. She is the Red Ravens' all-time coaching wins' leader. Downing ranks No. 3 in all-time Jayhawk Conference volleyball coaching wins and No. 5 in Region VI Volleyball history.
Downing is a three-time Jayhawk East Coach of the Year. She won four Jayhawk East and four Region VI championships with the Red Ravens. Downing's Raven teams made eight Region VI championship match appearances.
The Red Ravens had eight NJCAA and six AVCA All-Americans in Downing's tenure. Downing also produced 43 first-team All-Region VI players (22 first team), 34 All-Jayhawk East players (18 first team), three Jayhawk East Players of the Year and two Jayhawk East Freshmen of the Year.
"I know that Coach Hall has signed some gifted athletes and I look forward to adding to that," Downing said. "August 1st is just around the corner, so I am ready to get the ball rolling."
As an athlete at Coffeyville, Downing played volleyball, softball and basketball. She was Jayhawk East Volleyball Freshman in the Year in 1998 and was conference MVP in 1999. Downing earned first-team all-Jayhawk East honors in both her freshman and sophomore years. Downing was also named second-team all-conference in softball in 1999. Downing graduated from Coffeyville in May 2000.
Downing then transferred to the University of West Alabama on a volleyball scholarship and was a two-year volleyball starter. She received the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award in 2002. Downing was a student assistant volleyball coach at West Alabama and was also head coach of the junior varsity volleyball team in 2002. She graduated from West Alabama in 2003 with a bachelor's degree.
Downing has a daughter, Aah'lice (9), and sons Adrian (6) and Dash, who passed away in July 2015.
Hutchinson is scheduled to open the 2020 season at the New Mexico Military Classic on August 21-22 in Roswell, NM. Downing's first Blue Dragon victory will be the program's 1,100th all-time victory.
Information Box
DELICE DOWNING COACHING HISTORY
YearSchoolRecordLeague (finish)Region VINJCAA2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
TotalsCoffeyville
Coffeyville
Coffeyville
Coffeyville
Coffeyville
Coffeyville
Coffeyville
Coffeyville
Coffeyville
Coffeyville
Coffeyville
Coffeyville
Coffeyville
Coffeyville
Coffeyville
20-15
20-19
33-13
19-20
24-13
24-19
20-18
29-11
21-13
25-12
33-10
38-4
44-2
40-3
42-3
432-1756-3 (3)
5-4 (5)
6-3 (3)
6-5 (5)
5-6 (8)
5-5 (6)
5-5 (5)
8-2 (2)
3-7 (9)
5-4 (5)
7-2 (3)
8-1 (T1)
9-0 (1)
9-1 (T1)
10-0 (1)
97-181-2
2-2
0-1
1-1 (2)
0-1
1-1 (2)
0-1
1-1 (2)
DNQ
0-1
1-1 (2)
2-0 (1)
2-0 (1)
2-0 (1)
2-0 (1)
15-12---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
---
1-3
4-0 (Champs)
4-0 (Champs)
3-1 (3rd)
12-4