SEATTLE — Seattle U head volleyball coach, Michelle Cole, announced her coaching staff for the 2020 season with the additions of assistants Michael Hobson and Amber Cannady.
"I am incredibly excited and fortunate to have Michael and Amber as part of the staff, "said Cole. "Both are skilled educators who share philosophies that align with myself and the university. They are driven, competitive and proactive coaches and are the type of creative problem solvers that will help elevate this program even with the unique challenges our profession faces today. Through this entire process they impressed me with their preparation and goals for the future of Redhawks volleyball. We have a group of ambitious student-athletes, I am so glad I was able to hire two ambitious coaches to complement them."
Hobson and Cannady both come to the Emerald City with Division I experience, while possessing a diverse knowledge and view of the game. Collectively the duo will aid Cole in day-to-day operations, recruiting, scouting reports, fundraising and oversight of academics and team study hall sessions. Individually, Hobson will be responsible for mentoring the setters and steering the offense, while Cannady will oversee the middle hitters and run the the defense.
A native of Cambridge Springs, Penn., Hobson joins the flock after spending two seasons at Texas Tech University, where he served as Director of Volleyball Operations.
"Michael's analytical mind is why he is a perfect fit for this staff," Cole said. "I am convinced he reads statistical trends the way others read books. What's even more impressive is his ability to translate that information into useable information for players."
"I want to thank Michelle and all the administrators for giving me the opportunity to coach at Seattle U," said Hobson. " I am very excited to be able to coach such bright, young ladies in pursuit of a great education and athletic experience."
Prior to his time with the Red Raiders, Hobson served two seasons as an assistant for Bucknell, helping the Bison improve their 2017 win total by nine games. A graduate of Penn State in 2015, Hobson began his coaching career in 2015 as a graduate assistant at Northwest Missouri State.
Hobson also worked with the USA Men's National Sitting Volleyball team in 2016, where he specialized in blocking and serve reception, helping the team prepare for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio. As a member of the coaching staff he later made trips to Montreal, where they won silver, and Hangzhou, China.
Cannady comes to Seattle after a two-year stint as an assistant at Columbia University in New York.
"Amber has a gift for people," commented Cole. "She is an incredibly thoughtful person who has played at a high level, collegiately and professionally in Spain. She has the ability to see the big picture and break it down into small manageable pieces."
"I'm excited to join the Seattle U community and volleyball mission," said Cannady. "There is a plethora of potential here and the process of tapping into that, while building on a stellar foundation is an unbelievable opportunity."
A native of Yonkers, N.Y., Cannady spent the 2017-18 season playing professionally in Spain as a member of the C.V. JAV Olimpico, where she started 23 matches for the club, helping it reach the Spanish League semifinals for the first time in history.
Before going overseas, Cannady began her coaching career at her alma mater, University of New Haven, where she served two seasons as an assistant. While in the Elm City, she helped the Chargers capture back-to-back Northeast-10 titles, post a combined record of 46-17 overall and 25-3 mark in league play, and advance to the quarterfinals of the 2017 NCAA Div. II National Championship.
As a player, Cannady was part of three NE-10 tournament titles, four regular-season championships, four NCAA Tournament appearances and a trip to the quarterfinals of the 2012 NCAA National Championships. She finished her career ranked fourth in blocks per set (1.25), sixth in blocks (471) and eighth in attack percentage (.300). In addition, she garnered several individual accolades including Daktronics First Team All-America, AVCA All-America Honorable Mention, NE-10 Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the NE-10 Championship, among many others.