Corey Carlin is in his second season as an assistant coach at Eastern Kentucky. Carlin is no stranger to the Ohio Valley Conference, having served as an assistant and head coach at Austin Peay for five seasons.
“Anytime you can add a former head coach from our conference you are really going to have a chance to improve in every area,” said EKU Head Coach Lori Duncan. “Corey is extremely knowledgeable and he’s a great teacher. He has a great understanding of our conference and our program and he’s going to make us better.”
Before returning to the collegiate coaching ranks before the 2008 season, Carlin served as the director, and co-founder, of the MidSouth Volleyball Academy in Russellville, Ky. As the director, Carlin oversaw all administration and components of running a complete girls’ club volleyball program for over 70 girls. He recruited and mentored the coaching staff, administered a 9,000-square foot training facility, conducted training and practice sessions for various ages, implemented a budget, scheduled tournaments and secured sponsorship for the club. The MidSouth Volleyball Academy was founded in 2004.
Carlin first joined the staff at Austin Peay in 2002 and served as an assistant coach for three seasons. In 2005 Carlin earned his first collegiate head coaching position when he was chosen to lead the Governors.
Before joining APSU’s program, Carlin spent four seasons as an assistant at two universities. From 1998 to 1999 he was an assistant at Tarleton State University, a Division II school in Stephenville, Texas. Following the 1999 season, Carlin moved to the University of Evansville to serve as the Purple Aces assistant for two seasons (2000-01).
Carlin’s volleyball coaching career began while he was a student at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. In May 1996 Carlin accepted the head girls’ volleyball coach position at Randolph Southern High School. In one season, he led the program to the most wins it had experienced in the previous three seasons, he coached two of the school’s first all-conference players and coached the program’s first player to earn a collegiate volleyball scholarship. He also spent two seasons as the head coach of BSU’s men’s club team, leading the squad to a 22-10 record his final season and a second place finish in the prestigious Michigan State men’s club volleyball spring tournament.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in general studies with an emphasis in sports administration from Ball State in May of 1998 Carlin immediately joined the staff at Tarleton State. While working at Tarleton, Carlin earned a master’s degree in physical education in May 2000.
Carlin has worked volleyball camps at Purdue University, the University of Illinois, the University of Tennessee, Ball State and Belmont University. He is a member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
