Volleyball
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- ldevine@ia.ua.edu
- Phone:
- 205-348-3600
Lindsey Devine was announced as the head volleyball coach at The University of Alabama on Dec. 18, 2018 and enters her third season at the helm of the Crimson Tide in 2021.
"We were very impressed with Lindsey's experience and success on the college level, as well as her experience with USA Volleyball," said UA Director of Athletics Greg Byrne. "She's been able to compete at the highest levels both nationally and within conference play on a consistent basis. From talking with some of her former student-athletes, it was obvious she is a great coach and cares about the well-roundedness of her student-athletes on the court, academically and socially."
In her first season with the Crimson Tide, Devine coached freshman Alyiah Wells through a rookie season that ended in SEC All-Freshman accolades for the Memphis, Tenn., native. She led the team with 109 blocks, which ranked fifth in the SEC. In year two at the helm, Alabama improved its conference win total and finished the season ranked fourth in the league in service aces, led by libero Madelyn St. Germain who ranked fifth among all SEC players. Abby Marjama was among the top 10 in the league in kills and was named the SEC Player of the Week on March 1 following a series sweep over Mississippi State. Marjama was also named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week with St. Germain as the Defensive Player of the Week.
In two seasons at Alabama, 18 players have earned SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition and 12 have been named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll. In 2021Â the Tide won its ninth-straight AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2020-21Â school year, awarded to teams with a 3.30 or higher team GPA. In 2020, volleyball was one of five teams at the University of Alabama to earn the NCAA Division I Public Recognition Award, which highlights teams that demonstrate a commitment to academic progress and retention of student-athletes by achieving the top Academic Progress Rates within their respective sports.
Devine earned her 300th career win during her first year with the Crimson Tide, a 3-0 sweep over Alcorn State on Sept. 14, 2019 that capped an undefeated weekend in Birmingham at the Blazer Invitational.
Devine arrived in Tuscaloosa following a successful 16-year stint at East Tennessee State as its all-time winningest coach. Under her tenure, 28 players earned all-conference accolades, including three Player of the Year, three Libero of the Year and two Freshman of the Year award-winners.
"It is an honor and a privilege to be named the next head volleyball coach at The University of Alabama," said Devine. "From the minute that I engaged in conversations with the search committee, to the moment I stepped on campus to visit, it was clear that The University of Alabama was comprised of very educated, passionate and committed individuals, who demonstrated a positive comradery of dedication to excellence. I would like to thank Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, Senior Associate Athletics Director/Senior Woman Administrator Marie Robbins and the entire search committee for communicating to me their vision for the athletic department with such passion and energy. There is already a great foundation in place for this program to be successful, and I look forward to building on that.
During the 2018 season, she was named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year for the second time in three years after leading the Buccaneers to a regular season conference title and its highest win total (28) since 1983. ETSU earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, the first team in Southern Conference history to do so, marking back-to-back postseason appearances for the Bucs.
Off the court, ETSU sported a 100 percent graduation rate under Devine and earned the AVCA Team Academic Award each of the last nine years, which requires at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade point average.
Over her 16-year coaching career at ETSU, she compiled the most victories by a coach in program history and directed the Bucs to their second NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017 after sweeping all of its opponents during a dominant run through the Southern Conference Tournament. She was the 2016 SoCon Coach of the Year after guiding the Bucs to a 21-7 regular-season record, including an undefeated 11-0 home record.
Since 2005, she had 28 players earn All-Conference honors including multiple Freshman of the Year, Libero of the Year and Player of the Year honorees. Three of her former players went on to play in the international ranks in Crystal Palmer (Croatia), Megan Devine (Sweden) and Meredith Hardy (Switzerland)
In addition to her collegiate experience, Devine has had been a succesful coach on the national level with USA Volleyball. She assisted the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team at the 2012 European Challenge before winning silver at the 2013 World Championships, its first medal at the event. The following year, she helped guide the team to a gold-medal finish at the 2014 NORECA World Championship Qualification Tournament and silver with the U.S. Girl’s Youth National Team at that year’s NORECA Women’s U-18 Continental Championship in Costa Rica. She also earned silver at the 2013 and 2015 FiVB World Championships with the USA Youth National Team.
Devine began her coaching career at Durham Attack Volleyball Club in Ontario, serving two years as assistant coach for the 17 Boys Elite, earning back-to-back National Championships.
Devine is a graduate of York University in Toronto, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in English, physical education and education. She received a master’s degree in sports management from ETSU in 2014 and a Global Sport Leadership Doctoral in 2018. She was an outside hitter on York’s volleyball team from 1984-88, earning four all-province titles and a bronze medal at the 1985 Canadian National Championships.
Devine and her husband, Carl, have two children, Megan and Owen.
