CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland State volleyball head coach Chuck Voss announced the addition of coaching veteran Mark Hardaway to his coaching staff for the upcoming 2018 season, as Hardaway will serve as an assistant coach with the Vikings.
Hardaway joins the Viking coaching staff with more than 30 years of coaching experience, including six seasons in the Horizon League.
"Mark is an outstanding hire for our program, he has a wealth of experience and I look forward to learning from him," Voss said. "He has a tremendous work ethic on the recruiting trail, and will bring passion and energy to our team during practice and matches. With Mark on our staff, I believe we can continue our success on the court and contend once again for a Horizon League Championship."
Most recently, Hardaway served as the head coach at Youngstown State from 2012 to 2017, where he turned around a once-struggling program into a Horizon League contender. During his tenure, the Penguins posted many program firsts, including three consecutive winning seasons, back-to-back appearances in the Horizon League semifinals and the program record for league wins in a single season.
Under Hardaway's guidance, Youngstown State produced the 2014 Horizon League Setter of the Year, 2013 Defensive Player of the Year and six all-league selections. Hardaway also mentored Val Jeffery – the 2014 Horizon League Setter of the Year – to a spot on the 2017 USA World University Games roster.
Prior to his tenure at YSU, Hardaway spent eight years as the head coach at Evansville and 10 seasons as an assistant coach at Bowling Green. With the Purple Aces, he mentored 11 All-Conference selections and had two players inducted into the University of Evansville Athletic Hall of Fame, while he helped guide the Falcons to three consecutive 20-win seasons and 19 All-Conference honors.
Hardaway also had collegiate coaching stops at Pittsburg State University, Defiance College and Western Kentucky University.
Hardaway got his start in coaching at the high school level, serving as the head coach and assistant coach at Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio and Joplin Christian School in Joplin, Missouri.
Hardaway has also served as a USA Volleyball Women's National Team evaluator and Evansville River City Volleyball Club coordinator of coaches.