Cindy Gregory will begin her eighth season at the University of Delaware as head coach Bonnie Kenny's top assistant for the 2009 season.
Gregory, who was promoted to the position of associate head coach on December 23, 2004, also served as an assistant under Kenny during her entire tenure at the University of Massachusetts from 1995-2001.
Since coming to Delaware, Gregory has helped the program recapture the glory it once had under legendary coach Barb Viera. Following four losing seasons prior to her arrival, she and Kenny have turned the Blue Hens into one of the top teams in the region.
During her seven seasons in Newark, Gregory has helped Delaware post a record of 125-96 and advance to the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament five times. After the team made it to the championship match in 2004, the Blue Hens captured back-to-back conference titles in 2007 and 2008.
Along with winning the conference championship, Gregory helped the 2007 squad post a 31-5 record and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Delaware eventually became the first team from the CAA to win a set in the second round without the benefit of a first round bye.
Last season, she and Kenny completed an amazing coaching job to guide the team to a second straight title. Despite losing the conference Player and Setter of the Year to graduation and All-Conference performer Kelly Gibson to a knee injury in the first match of the season, Gregory helped the squad overcome the losses and use a late-season run to take the championship.
With the Hens’ grueling 3-2 victory over host and No. 1 seed Northeastern in the CAA Championship match, Delaware became the first team to win back-to-back titles since George Mason accomplished the feat in 2002-03.
A native of Houston, TX, Gregory earned 13 letters in basketball, cross country, track and field, and volleyball and garnered high school All-American and All-State honors in volleyball at Clear Lake High School.
Gregory began her college career at the University of Houston where she played two seasons and led the Cougars to the 1979 and 1980 national AIAW tournaments. The 1979 squad placed fourth nationally.
She moved on to Missouri State University where she played two seasons and led the team to a fifth place finish at the 1981 AIAW national tournament and to an NCAA Tournament berth in 1982. The squad also captured two Gateway Conference titles during her career.
She earned her degree in physical education with a minor in biology from Missouri State in 1983 and earned a master's degree in exercise physiology from Texas Woman's University in 1986.
She began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Texas Woman's University in Denton, TX in 1984-86 before moving into a head coaching position at Marymount University in Arlington, VA in 1987-89.
She served as assistant coach at Smith College in Northampton, MA in 1989-91 and returned to the head coaching ranks at Clark University in Worcester, MA for the 1991-92 season. She also served a two-year stint as head coach at The MacDuffie School in Springfield, MA in 1990-92 while also serving at Smith and Clark.
Gregory took over as head coach for men's and women's volleyball at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and led both teams to national prominence during her tenure in 1992-95. She guided the men's program to a third place finish at the NCAA Division III Tournament in 1993.
On the women's side, she led MIT to the ECAC regional tournament in 1993 and to the New England Women's Eight Conference title and an NCAA Tournament berth in 1994. She was named the New England Women's Eight Conference Coach of the Year and New England Women's Volleyball Association District Coach of the Year in 1993.
While at Massachusetts, she teamed with Kenny to lead UMass to a seven-year record of 125-93 between 1995-2001. Massachusetts recorded five winning seasons, including marks of 28-9 in 1996 and 24-15 in 1995. The 1996 team advanced to the National Invitational Volleyball Championships in Kansas City, MO.
In addition to her coaching duties, Gregory is active professionally, having published articles in several national journals. She has also been active with the NCAA YES program and with Special Olympics and has served on the Women's Sports Foundation Advisory Board.
In the fall of 2006, she and Kenny co-authored an instructional book “Volleyball: Steps to Success” published by Human Kinetics Publishers. The 192-page book is part of the popular Steps to Success Sports Series which has sold over 1.5 million copies. The book was designed to help players and coaches master the essentials of the game and offer a comprehensive, progressive approach with a proven system for learning and expert instruction.
Associate Head Coach Cindy Gregory