Chad Callihan Bio
1/22/2008 5:11:00 AM | General
Head Coach, 5th season
Radford 2001
E-mail coach Callihan
In just four years at Georgia Southern, head coach Chad Callihan has turned the program around. A program that went 10-21 in 2007 capped the 2009 campaign with a 21-10 record and won the 2010 SoCon Tournament, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in school history.
Callihan helped the Eagles to their best winning percentage in school history (.750) en route to their first SoCon title in since 2003. The 2010 team finished with a 27-9 record and was one win short of tying the Eagles' best mark of 28 victories in 1993. It was only the second time in history that a team posted single-digit defeats.
Callihan owns a 202-128 career record in 10 years as a head coach - four years at Appalachian State, two at Radford and four at Georgia Southern. Not only have his teams succeeded on the court, they have done so in the classroom. All four of his Mountaineer teams received the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award, and his Georgia Southern squad earned the honor in 2011.
The Eagles had a six-game turnaround in the win column in Callihan's first season, and Georgia Southern backed that up with consecutive 20-win seasons. All told, Callihan's Georgia Southern teams have logged an 82-52 record and a 44-22 mark in SoCon matches. Under his guidance, GSU student-athletes have earned a total of 13 postseason SoCon honors.
Callihan joined the Eagles after spending the 2007 campaign as an assistant coach at the University of Georgia. He helped with the Bulldogs' turnaround, improving a 6-25 record in 2006 to a 17-13 overall mark in 2007.
Having spent time at fellow SoCon member Appalachian State, Callihan was no stranger to Georgia Southern or the level of competition in the league. Callihan posted an .814 league winning percentage (57-13) during his tenure with the Mountaineers, and the 2004 SoCon Coach of the Year led the Apps to consecutive North Division championships (2003-04), two regular season runner-up finishes and two appearances in the SoCon Tournament championship match (2004-05).
Prior to his time at Appalachian State, Callihan worked four years at Radford, the last two as head coach. In 2001, the Highlanders posted a 24-7 record and captured the Big South Conference regular season title. Radford rattled off 23 consecutive victories that season, the longest winning streak in the nation, and finished a perfect 14-0 in the BSC. The Highlanders were ranked as high as sixth in the East Region.
Before taking over the head coaching duties, Callihan spent two years as an assistant coach, helping the Highlanders capture two Big South Conference championships and a berth in the 2000 NCAA Tournament.
Callihan spent three seasons as the head coach at Radford High School in Radford, Va., leading his team to its first regional appearance in 13 years and earned District Coach of the Year honors.
His coaching experience also includes coaching the Yokota Air Base women's volleyball team in Japan during his four years in the United States Air Force. The squad consisted of former Division I athletes.
A member of the AVCA and USA Volleyball, Callihan has worked throughout his career with Special Olympics and setting up free volleyball clinics.
Callihan and his wife Jess are the parents of two sons, Caleb and Macoy.
