Russell named Huskies head coach

HALIFAX, NS - One of the leading volleyball coaches in the Atlantic region is now the head coach of the women's volleyball team at Saint Mary's University.

The Huskies today announced the appointment of Darren Russell as the new head coach of the women's program. Russell has been coaching the Nova Scotia Canada Games team for the past two years that will compete in Charlottetown in 2009. He has served as the assistant coach of the women's team at Saint Mary's since 2002, is the former head coach of the Dalhousie University (Sexton Campus) Men's Volleyball team, and was head coach of the Nova Scotia Girls' 18 and Under provincial champions in 2006 and 2007.

"Darren's an extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic coach who has been instrumental in developing our program at Saint Mary's as well as young players throughout Atlantic Canada," said Steve Sarty, Director of Athletics and Recreation at Saint Mary's. "We're glad he agreed to take this step up and we're confident his experience, particularly as head coach of the Canada Games team, will help us recruit and continue to develop strong players for the Huskies."

Russell is currently in the United States coaching the Canada Games team in a U.S.A. High Performance International Volleyball Tour in Florida. He graduated with a Bachelor of Education degree from the Nova Scotia Teachers' College in 1997, and is a teacher at the Riverside Education Centre in Enfield.