Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
Apr. 29, 2024 - North Central College athletic director
Jim Miller '86 has announced the hiring of
Ray Gooden as head women's volleyball coach after a nationwide search. Gooden has coaching experience at various collegiate, national, and international levels, most recently serving as the head women's volleyball coach at Northern Illinois University.
"Ray brings a lot of high-quality yet relatable experience to North Central, having coached for over 30 years at all levels," Miller said. "He is well-known in the volleyball community, and it became clear during the interview process that Ray was the best choice to be the next head women's volleyball coach."
"I have always seen North Central from a distance and knew about the successes and the level of excellence this college has. It is a beautiful campus that has a wonderful college feel in a wonderful area. There are all the makings for things to be very positive and special here," Gooden said.
Gooden coached with the Huskies from 2002 to 2022, winning five Mid-American Conference (MAC) West Division titles, three MAC regular-season championships, and the MAC Tournament Championship in 2016. The five-time MAC Coach of the Year won 357 matches, the most in program history. Over his 20 years with the Huskies, he coached four American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Americans, two Academic All-Americans, and an NCAA Woman of the Year finalist.
Before NIU, Gooden served as the associate head women's and men's volleyball coach at Loyola University Chicago, the assistant men's volleyball coach at Lewis University, the assistant volleyball coach at Northwestern University, and was the first head men's volleyball coach at Thomas More College (Kentucky) while serving as the assistant women's volleyball coach for the Saints.
In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Gooden works as an open program tryout evaluator and the High Performance head coach for USA Volleyball. He has also worked as an assistant coach for the Boys Junior National Team and as a visiting coach apprentice for the USA National Team.
Globally, Gooden has coaching experience in Europe and Brazil as the head coach for Bring It USA and worked as a team advisor for the Sakai Blazers men's professional team in Osaka, Japan, for two seasons.
As a member of the AVCA, Gooden served on numerous committees and leadership programs, including the All-Region Committee and the Diversity Development Team. He has been a panelist and keynote speaker at multiple AVCA conventions.
Gooden has also worked as a volleyball analyst for the Big Ten Network, ESPN, NBC Sports Network, and other media outlets.
A graduate of Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree in economics, Gooden played for the Buckeyes' varsity and club teams from 1990 to 1994.
"I am most looking forward to being in an environment that has so much success," Gooden said. "From Jim Miller to the rest of the department, that level of excitement, energy, and commitment is exciting. I can't wait to be a part of a team that I feel has potential and can do some positive things moving forward."
Gooden will officially begin his duties on May 20. North Central's 2024 women's volleyball season is set to begin the first week of September.
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