AMHERST, N.Y. - Eli Irizarry Pares has been named the ninth head coach in the history of the Daemen College women's volleyball program, Director of Athletics Traci Murphy announced today. 

A native of Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Irizarry Pares elevates to the program's top position after serving as a graduate assistant during the last two seasons. Named interim head coach last month, he officially takes the reins from Stephanie Albano who stepped down after six seasons to transition to a fully administrative role as the athletics chief of staff/business manager.

In his two seasons as an assistant, Irizarry Pares established himself as one of the top up-and-coming coaches in the region. He played an instrumental role in leading the Wildcats to East Coast Conference regular season and tournament championships, the program's first-ever NCAA Division II East Region championship and subsequent trip to the Elite Eight this past fall. Including the obscure and pandemic-shortened 2020 season (played in Spring 2021), Irizarry Pares has helped the program to a 28-11 overall record. 

"We are thrilled to have gone through the search process only to find the ideal candidate to lead this program was right here in our building," Murphy said. "Eli has shown himself to be an incredibly bright, energetic and detail-oriented coach. He has developed a great rapport with the student-athletes that he leads. I am looking forward to watching him make this program his own and to build upon the successes it has experienced."

Before beginning his coaching career, Irizarry Pares was a standout player for NCAA Division III powerhouse Springfield College (Mass.). He led the Pride to four straight NCAA Division III Final Four appearances and national championship victories in 2017 and 2018. He was named a Second Team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association as well as the 2017 Division III National Libero of the Year by Off The Block, a website dedicated to the coverage of collegiate men's volleyball. 

"I would like to thank Traci Murphy for the opportunity and for trusting me in this new role," Irizarry Pares said. "I also need to thank both Stephanie Albano and Don Gleason for allowing me to join both of their volleyball programs last year. They have been great mentors and have helped me build a strong foundation as a coach. I also want to thank my family for all the support they've given me throughout this journey. I've learned a lot as a coach and what it takes to run a program and I'm excited and thankful I get to stay at Daemen. I'm looking forward to the challenge and building off the strong foundation that's been established."

Irizarry Pares will continue to assist Gleason and the Daemen men's volleyball program through the completion of their 2022 season. 

He holds a bachelor's degree in healthcare management from Springfield. This spring, he will add a master's degree in leadership and innovation from Daemen. 

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT ELI IRIZARRY PARES…

"It is rare to find a graduate assistant that will work for both the men's and women's programs and have that person consistently show up and do the work with a passion to learn and grow as much as possible. In the past two years, Eli has proven to be committed, compassionate, and driven. Those qualities will serve him well as he takes this next step in his coaching journey. The Wildcats are in good hands and I am excited for Eli and the team."
- Stephanie Albano, former Head Women's Volleyball Coach, Daemen College (current Athletics Chief of Staff/Business Manager)


"Eli is a fantastic young coach with an outstanding coaching pedigree. Eli understands what it takes to win championships. He knows the game extremely well, relates to the student-athletes and shows passion in coaching. I am very excited to see what he will do at the helm."
- Matthew Cribbin, Director of Volleyball/Head Women's Volleyball Coach, American International College


"From day one, Eli has made a great impact with both volleyball programs here at Daemen. Because he developed a championship pedigree and mindset as a player during his college career, Eli has been instrumental in developing our mentality on the court. Having him in the gym has expedited the growth and maturation process of our young program."
- Don Gleason, Head Men's Volleyball Coach, Daemen College


"I had the pleasure to coach against Eli during his playing days at Springfield College. He was an outstanding player, highly skilled, very disciplined and prepared. I have had conversations with Eli off the court and it was quickly apparent his volleyball IQ was very high. As he started his coaching career as a graduate assistant, I have seen his passion for coaching, his willingness to work and be sponge as a learner throughout which indicated to me he is a young talent coming into the coaching ranks with a very bright future. I am so excited to hear of his new role and can't wait to see what he brings to the Daemen College program. I am very proud of him."
- Amable Martinez, Volleyball Director/Head Women's Volleyball Coach, St. Francis College - Brooklyn


"I am very excited for Eli and this opportunity. The first day he came into the gym at Springfield College, he decided that he was going to be the best libero in the program and he ended up holding the starting libero position for four years. I am excited to watch his personality, determination and work ethic propel him in his coaching career."
- Charlie Sullivan, Head Men's Volleyball Coach, Springfield College