By Jen Malti
Assistant Sports Editor
Both the women’s and men’s volleyball teams are setting out to have successful seasons but there’s one major thing they have in common — the same coach.
Karl France is the head coach for the men’s volleyball team and the interim coach for the women’s team.
France talks about the similarities on coaching both teams.
“It is not much different as you have a relationship with the players who you have brought to Fairleigh Dickinson University. The relationship would have been developed through recruiting and I try to treat my players as student-athletes who play the sport that they love,” said France via email.
However, for the men’s volleyball team, it is a little different because the team is new this year.
“I am starting a program from scratch and the relationships are still rather new with my male athletes. With the ladies that I coach, I assumed the role in August just before the season after Coach (Kevin) Rodgers left, so those relationships are still being developed,” said France.
This is not the first time he has coached both a men’s and women’s team. France began his coaching career in 1998 as head coach of men’s and women’s volleyball at the college of Mount Saint Vincent.
Before FDU, he coached for New York University and Rutgers-Newark.
France has guided the women’s record to an overall 5-8 with 12 games left in the regular season as of the date of publication.
“The team has some big goals for the upcoming NEC slate. The ladies want to reach great heights in 2021 and my job is to aid them in that quest,” said France.
With the men’s team set to begin its inaugural season in 2022, France has high hopes.
“I want to make sure that every young man connects with his classmates and exemplifies our traits to be a Knight,” France said.
“We are also very fortunate to have an administration that supports men’s volleyball as there are not that many NCAA institutions that do. I am excited to include the FDU community in learning more about our sport and our young men,” he said.
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Photo from fduknights.com
