West Hartford, Conn. – Alex Temkin, former head coach at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, has accepted the Head Volleyball Coach position at the University of Hartford. Temkin's experience dates back to his college years when he participated with the UMass men's club team, making four trips to the NCAA Collegiate Club National Championships.
“Alex brings a wealth of volleyball knowledge and a diverse background to Hartford,” said Director of Athletics Pat Meiser in announcing the appointment. “He has coached on many levels and his experience both locally with the Husky Volleyball Club and internationally having recruited Israeli players to UMES will be of great value at Hartford.”
Temkin has served as a head coach at all three levels with his most recent coaching experience coming as two seasons at the helm of the Division III Worcester Polytechnic Institute where he lead the Engineers to back-to-back 22 win seasons. In his first season at WPI, the Engineers posted the best start in school history, winning their first 10 matches. Their record of 22-8 that year was the most wins since 1985 and the most conference wins and best finish since 1998. Overall at WPI, Temkin led the Engineers to a 44-17 overall record and an 8-10 record in conference play.
“I am incredibly excited to start this new position,” said Temkin. “I want to thank President Harrison, Director of Athletics Pat Meiser, Ellen Crandall and the committee members for extending this opportunity to me. I value this opportunity especially because there aren't many openings around and Hartford provides a challenge for me personally and professionally."
“I am excited not only for the team but for me personally and the University. I look forward to expanding upon the success from last season and building a winning program at Hartford. My mission will be to graduate student-athletes while making Hartford a contender in the America East every year. ”
Previous to WPI, Temkin led the UMES Hawks for three seasons, including finishing as the runner-up to nationally ranked Florida A&M in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2004. While at UMES, Temkin compiled a 43-59 record and a 17-13 mark in conference play. In his inaugural season, 2004, the Hawks finished 19-16 overall, winning the Northern Division regular season title and finishing one win shy of reaching the program's first ever NCAA Championship. He matched that win total in his final season at UMES finishing 19-15 overall in 2006. That season, the Hawks finished third following the regular season and advanced to the conference semifinals.
Prior to taking the position at UMES, Temkin's first collegiate head coaching opportunity came at Division II American International where he spent two seasons and led the Yellow Jackets to a 35-26 overall record, including an 18-10 conference tally. In his final season at AIC, the Yellow Jackets finished with a 22-9 record and an 11-3 mark in conference play, posting a third-place performance in the Northeast 10.
His first collegiate experience came as an Assistant Coach at the University of Massachusetts. While at UMass, the Minutemen compiled a record of 45-37. Temkin has also coached at the high school and club levels, accumulating a 68-16 record at Turners Falls High School. He also worked with the Western Massachusetts Juniors and the Husky Volleyball Club in Connecticut. He has been associated with the Husky Volleyball Club since 2000, serving as the Assistant and Technical Director involved in player evaluation and coach development.
As a player, Temkin played in eight USAV Open National Championships, two USA A Level National Championships, and made four trips to the NCAA Collegiate Club National Championships with the University of Massachusetts where he was a starter every season. He was also a two-year Junior Olympic Volleyball player and a Silver medalist at the 1985 Junior National Championships.
Temkin received his bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts in 1990.
