Photo courtesy of SMSU Athletic Communications SMSU volleyball assistant coach Tyler Boddy talks with the team during a timeout. Boddy was named the next head coach of SMSU volleyball on Friday.

MARSHALL — Southwest Minnesota State University Interim Director of Athletics Bruce Saugstad announced on Friday the hiring of Tyler Boddy as the next head volleyball coach at SMSU.

Boddy, who has spent the past 10 years as an assistant coach at SMSU, becomes the fifth head coach in the program’s 50-year history. Boddy (pronounced BODY), takes over for Terry Culhane, who announced his retirement in November after 18 seasons as head coach.

“Tyler’s passion for SMSU, our volleyball program and our student-athletes was evident throughout the interview process,” Saugstad said. “Tyler has played an integral role in the success of Mustang volleyball over the past 10 years as our assistant coach and associate head coach.”

Boddy joined the SMSU coaching staff in 2012 and since that time the program has appeared in seven NCAA tournaments, including finishing as NCAA national runners-up in 2014. SMSU has a combined record of 225-64 during his tenure which includes two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season titles and two NSIC tournament championships.

“I would like to thank SMSU President Dr. Kumara Jayasuriya, Bruce Saugstad and the search committee on all of their time and efforts put into the process and providing me this great opportunity,” Boddy said. “I am very excited to continue on all the success that Terry and Paul Soupir (former assistant coach) have created in Mustang volleyball and look forward to keeping their legacy within our program.”

Since joining the staff, Boddy has recruited or coached 37 All-NSIC honorees, 16 AVCA All-Americans, a three-time NSIC Player of the Year, a two-time AVCA National Player of the Year and three CoSIDA Academic All-Americans.

For his efforts during his coaching career, Boddy was named a recipient of the Thirty Under 30 Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association in April of 2019. He was promoted to associate head coach in the summer of 2021.

“I want to thank Coach Culhane for preparing Tyler for this next step in his career,” Saugstad said. “I’m confident Tyler will continue to build on the strong foundation that is in place. I would also like to publicly thank our search committee led by Allison Monson (Associate AD – Senior Woman Administrator) for leading the hiring process.”

Boddy, a native of New Ulm, came to SMSU after spending two seasons (2010-11) as an assistant coach at Wisconsin-Oshkosh and one season (2009) at Ripon College. Boddy has also had a successful coaching career in club volleyball with his Southwest Minnesota Volleyball Club teams winning national championships in 2014 and 2018.

“I am looking forward to continuing to work with our Mustang student-athletes and helping develop them as players and people,” Boddy said. “Our family loves SMSU and the Marshall community, so we are excited about getting to stay home.”

Boddy, a 2012 graduate of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, lives in Marshall with his wife, Alex, son, Bronx, and daughter, Rowan.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications