Donan Cruz
| Playing career | |
|---|---|
| 2004-2006 | Graceland University (Volleyball) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2012-2022 | Grand View[1] |
| 2022–2025 | Ball State |
| 2025–present | Hawai'i (assistant) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 292–91 (.762) |
| Tournaments | 0-1 (NCAA) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1× Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tournament (2022) [2] 1× NAIA National Invitational Championship (2018)[3] 1× NAIA National Championship (2021) [4] | |
| Awards | |
| 1× AVCA National Coach of the Year (NCAA Div. I-II 2022)[5][6]
2× AVCA National Coach of the Year (NAIA 2017, 2021) 2× MIVA Coach of the Year (NCAA Div. I-II 2022, 2024) | |
Donan Cruz is an American men's college volleyball coach, who is currently an assistant coach for the University of Hawaii Rainbows men’s volleyball team. He previously served as the head coach of the Ball State Cardinals men's volleyball team.[7][8][9] He previously held the same position at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa.[10]
Coaching career
In his first year as head coach at Ball State, the Cardinals compiled a 23–4 record and were the second seed at the 2022 NCAA Men's National Collegiate Volleyball Tournament.[11] To conclude the 2022 season, the Cardinals fell in five sets in the semi-finals of the 2022 NCAA Men's National Collegiate Volleyball Tournament to the eventual national champions, the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.[12][13] On June 28, 2025, Cruz resigned as head coach of Ball State.[14]
Year by Year Record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand View (Heart of America Athletic Conference) (2012–2021) | |||||||||
| 2012 | Grand View | 13-13 | 3-7 | ||||||
| 2013 | Grand View | 15-10 | 5-5 | ||||||
| 2014 | Grand View | 28-3 | 8-0 | NAIA National Invitational Semi-Finals | |||||
| 2015 | Grand View | 20-9 | 8-2 | NAIA National Invitational Semi-Finals | |||||
| 2016 | Grand View | 20-8 | 7-1 | NAIA National Invitational Semi-Finals | |||||
| 2017 | Grand View | 25-4 | 10-0 | NAIA National Invitational Finals (L) | |||||
| 2018 | Grand View | 23-5 | 10-0 | NAIA National Invitational Finals (W) | |||||
| 2019 | Grand View | 20-2 | 9-1 | NAIA National Championship Semi-Finals | |||||
| 2020 | Grand View | 22-1 | 10-0 | Postseason Cancelled due to COVID-19 | |||||
| 2021 | Grand View | 26-0 | 19-0 | NAIA National Championship Finals (W) | |||||
| Grand View: | 211–55 (.793) | 89–16 (.848) | |||||||
| Ball State (Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) (2022–present) | |||||||||
| 2022 | Ball State | 23-4 | 12-2 | 1st | NCAA Semi-Finals | ||||
| 2023 | Ball State | 20-9 | 11-3 | T-1st | |||||
| 2024 | Ball State | 21-10 | 11-3 | 1st | |||||
| 2025 | Ball State | 17-13 | 9-7 | ||||||
| Ball State: | 81–36 (.692) | 43–15 (.741) | |||||||
| Total: | 292–91 (.762) | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
References
- ^ "Donan Cruz 2020-21 Men's Volleyball Roster | Grand View Athletics". Archived from the original on 2022-10-08. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
- ^ "Tournament and Regular Season Archives - Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association". Archived from the original on 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
- ^ https://www.naia.org/sports/mvball/2017-18/Files/2018_MVB_Bracket.pdf
- ^ https://www.naia.org/sports/mvball/2020-21/releases/Champ_Recap
- ^ "Donan Cruz Selected as the 2022 AVCA National Coach of the Year - Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association". Archived from the original on 2022-05-03. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
- ^ https://www.guampdn.com/sports/donan-cruz-named-national-coach-of-the-year/article_92308a72-c9e2-11ec-a606-7ba10cb89a57.html
- ^ "Donan Cruz - Head Coach - Staff Directory". Ball State University Athletics. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
- ^ https://www.mauinews.com/sports/local-sports/2021/06/cruz-named-new-head-coach-at-ball-state/
- ^ https://www.staradvertiser.com/2022/05/05/sports/ball-state-mens-volleyball-coach-donan-cruz-raised-on-maui/
- ^ "Cruz leads Vikings to NAIA national title | Local Sports | postguam.com". www.postguam.com. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
- ^ "2022 Men's Volleyball Schedule - Ball State University Athletics". ballstatesports.com. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
- ^ "2022 Men's Volleyball Schedule - Ball State University Athletics". ballstatesports.com. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
- ^ "Ball State men's volleyball coach Donan Cruz speaks after semifinal loss to Hawai'i". www.thestarpress.com. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
- ^ "Ball State men's volleyball coach Donan Cruz has resigned". www.thestarpress.com. Retrieved 2026-05-22.