Behind the bench with Dan McMorran

Entering his seventh season behind the men’s volleyball bench, Dan McMorran is the focus in the first edition of Behind the Bench.

A Varsity Red player from 1987-1993, McMorran was the recipient of the UNB Varsity Athletic Ring of Distinction as well as being named a CIS Academic All-Canadian in his final season in 1992-1993. The former men’s volleyball captain discusses with the Brunswickan what he looks for when deciding on the team, some coaching techniques, as well as some fond memories since taking over the head coach position.

B: What do you look for in a player when deciding on your roster?

DM: Everyone at this level is looking for big, strong athletes as this is a fast-paced and explosive sport. The ones that I'm most interested are the players who have that athleticism as well as having a little "edge" or "grit" to them in a competitive situation, not afraid to take risks, and who are committed to making both themselves and the team better both on and off the court.

B: What is your fondest memory as a V-Red coach?

DM: My fondest memory as a V-Red coach would be in 2008 after beating Dalhousie in Halifax in the first match of the best of three AUS finals and getting a chance to win the AUS Championship in front of a packed and rowdy LB Gym. The atmosphere was absolutely electrifying - it could also be considered my worst memory, as we lost a close one that still bothers me to this day.

B: Prior to a game what do you do to get your players prepared for the matchup?

DM: Game preparation is similar for most games. We do some video analysis and detail how we are going to both defend and attack our opposition and then it's a matter of execution.

B: A skill I have noticed a coach needs is being able to know when to call a timeout. How do you know when to call them and what do you say to get your team back in the game?

DM: Knowing when to call timeouts can be an integral part to the game. I generally call timeouts in two situations: 1) to get us back on track or 2) to disrupt the flow or streak of our opponents. We don't have a lot of time during these, so the comments are generally one or two specific areas that we want either to correct, improve upon, or adjust to.

B: Do you set goals for yourself as a coach?

DM: It varies from year to year, but I want to be better in certain areas from the previous year and continue to learn, grow, and improve. I can't expect my players to do so if I'm not trying to do the same.

B: How do you gauge the success of your season aside from wins and losses?

DM: Wins and losses are definitely a huge measuring stick to a successful season, but it's definitely not everything. We take pride in whether we were successful as a team in the classroom in our academic goals, and in the community in any of the team community initiatives we participate in. We also take into consideration whether or not individual players made strides athletically and academically as well.