Over the course of his first six seasons as head coach of the Stevens Institute of Technology women’s volleyball team, J.J. O’Connell has elevated the Ducks to the elite level in Division III and has his team in position to contend on the national stage. With four straight conference titles and NCAA Tournament bids to his credit, O'Connell is looking to continue the Ducks' recent run of success.
Named the third coach in the history of the program in March of 2002, O'Connell inherited a program that won just three matches in 2001. He quickly reversed the team's fortunes, directing the squad to a 14-12 record in his first season. During the 2003 campaign, he led the Ducks to a 21-14 record and the program's first berth in the Skyline Conference Tournament. In 2004, the team won its first-ever Skyline Conference Championship and reached the first round of the NCAA Tournament en route to posting an overall record of 28-5.
The 2005 campaign proved to be yet another successful season as the Ducks won their second Skyline title in as many years, earned their first-ever win in the NCAA Tournament while reaching the second round and finished with an overall record of 31-6. Their .838 win-percentage was the best in the New York Region and ranked No. 19 in the nation that year. Along the way, three players garnered Skyline Conference first-team honors, and the Ducks produced the league’s co-player and rookie of the year.
In 2006, Stevens continued its rise to national prominence with a third-straight Skyline title as well as a program-best 34-6 mark. In the process, the Ducks captured the New York Regional Championship and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Stevens ended the year ranked No. 21 in the nation in the final American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. During 2006, O’Connell helped produce the Skyline Player of the Year, Co-Defensive Player of the Year, four all-conference selections and a pair of All-New York Region honorees. It also marked the fifth straight year under O’Connell that the Ducks improved their overall record and post-season finish.
The 2007 season turned out to be more of the same as the Ducks claimed their first Empire 8 Conference title and fourth-straight conference title overall. The program returned to the Final Eight of the NCAA Championships for the second-straight year by winning the New York Regional and posting a school best 36-5 record. Several Ducks were represented on all-conference teams, including the Empire 8 Player of the Year. Stevens had four all-conference selections, three All-NY Regional honorees and three Division III All-Americans. The Ducks ended the year ranked No. 19 in the final national poll.
The 2007 campaign also marked the sixth straight year under O'Connell that the Ducks improved their overall record. In six seasons at the helm of the Stevens program, O’Connell has accumulated a combined record of 164-48. His .774 career winning percentage is the eighth-best amongst all active coaches in the NCAA Division III.
Born and raised in Ithaca, N.Y., O’Connell developed into an outstanding middle hitter at Ithaca High School. A two-year captain for the Little Red program, his senior squad earned a New York sectional championship.
After high school, O’Connell attended the State University of New York at Cortland where he played outside hitter on the Red Dragons’ club men’s volleyball team while earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Management Science in 1994. O’Connell led the men’s volleyball team to fifth- and ninth-place finishes in 1996 and 1997 in the NIRSA Division II Volleyball Club Championships. He earned all-tournament honors in both years.
As an undergraduate, O’Connell also broke into the coaching ranks by serving as an assistant coach to Cortland head women’s volleyball coach Joan Sitterly. His tenure on the Cortland staff saw the Red Dragons earn fifth-place national finishes in the NCAA Division III Championship in both 1996 and 1997. Looking to pursue a career in coaching, O’Connell returned to the classroom at Cortland and earned a second bachelor’s degree in 1997 in Physical Education with a concentration in coaching.
Following four years as an assistant at Cortland, O’Connell accepted the position of assistant women’s coach at NCAA Division II Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich. During a two-year stint on Head Coach Tia Brandel’s staff, the Bulldogs were the runner-up for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship on two occasions. They also earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Championship in 1999 with a 26-8 overall record.
In 2000, O'Connell accepted the position of graduate assistant coach at the State University of New York at Brockport, where he nears completion on a Master’s of Science degree in Physical Education. The Golden Eagle program captured the SUNYAC West Division regular-season championship each year and finished as the runner-up in the 2000 and 2001 SUNYAC tournaments. As an assistant coach, O’Connell was a part of teams that compiled an overall record of 245-76.
O'Connell serves on the NCAA Women's Volleyball National Committee and the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee for the New York Region. He previously served on the AVCA Division III Head Coaches Committee and remains an active official for USA Volleyball.
