Tommy Harold took the helm of the Nicholls State University women's volleyball program in April 2013 and has already made tremendous strides within the program over his tenure.
Over the 2014 campaign, Harold guided the Colonels back to the Southland Conference Tournament for the first time since 2012. Nicholls doubled its overall win total from 2013 and more than doubled its 2013 conference win total, while playing with only one senior on the team.
In his innagural season as head coach of the Nicholls volleyball program, Harold led the Colonels to a 5-23 record in a rebuilding year for the program with only two seniors on the squad.
Harold comes to Thibodaux after spending the last decade at the helm of the Loyola-New Orleans program, where the New Orleans native turned the Wolfpack into one of the most feared teams in the Gulf Coast and Southern States Athletic Conference.
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Becoming just the third head coach in team history, Harold had eight seasons with 20 or more wins and never had a losing season on his watch at Loyola, leaving with an overall record of 207-113 (.647). That winning total could have been even higher if not for two seasons cut short due to hurricanes, as in 2007 he led the team to its third-highest win total in program history with 28 and the GCAC tournament title, reaching that number again last season.
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The Jesuit High School grad recruited and coached over 50 postseason award recipients, including two freshmen of the year, two liberos of the year and a setter of the year. Harold’s teams have also been some of the best in the classroom as well, as his groups have maintained 3.0 GPA’s or better in at least eight of his ten seasons, being recognized by the NAIA and AVCA for academic excellence.
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One way Harold has found success is the national recruiting base he’s be able to accumulate from his over dozen-year career in the club volleyball circuit. He led the successful Cajunland Volleyball Club in New Orleans beginning in the late 90’s and during his time had nine teams finish in the top ten at the USA volleyball and AAU National Championships. After earning a silver medal in 2001 at the USAV Championships and in 2003 at the AAU Championships in Orlando, he retired from the club following the 2011 season after 13 years of service.
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Before getting into coaching, Harold was a Division I player at St. Francis University where he was a setter and defensive specialist. He eventually earned his bachelors from Randolph Macon College and masters from the University of New Orleans. After his playing days, he became a student assistant coach at Texas Christian University for two seasons while playing on the men’s club team. Before joining Loyola, Harold spent one year as an assistant coach at Metarie Park Country Day School in 2002.
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Tommy Harold Coaching Resume
Student Assistant Coach, Texas Christian University (1997-98)
Head Coach, Cajunland Volleyball Club (1999-2011)
Assistant Coach, Metarie Park Country Day School (2002)
Head Coach, Loyola-New Orleans (2003-12)