The University of South Dakota and head volleyball coach Leanne Williamson announced the hiring of Michael Runde as USD’s assistant volleyball coach.
Runde was the team’s graduate assistant in 2013-15.
“I’m very excited to have Michael return to South Dakota,” said Williamson. “He is a tremendous coach on the court and his recruiting mindset will help us raise our level each year. The transition with Michael will be seamless. He already knows our system and the majority of our team which will allow him to come in and contribute immediately.”
A native of Dubuque, Iowa, Runde was the head coach for the Iowa Rocket’s Volleyball Club in Iowa City from 2009-12. He led the club to three USA Volleyball National Championship appearances. Along with coaching the Rockets, he spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons as a manager for the Iowa Hawkeyes. At Iowa, he graduated with a degree in Sports and Recreation business.
In his two years at USD, Runde helped coach the team to back-to-back 19-win seasons and helped mentor 2013 Summit League Player of the Year Kendall Kritenbrink. During his tenure, Runde earned his graduate degree in sport management.
Runde rejoins the team after spending a year at Southeast Missouri where he coached setters, assisted with recruiting, coordinated travel, scouted opponents and assisted with video analysis.
“I could not be more excited to be back at South Dakota,” said Runde. “I would like to thank Leanne and the USD administration for this opportunity. South Dakota is a special place for me, and now especially is a great time to be a Coyote as we enter the new arena this summer.”
