EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State head volleyball coach Leah Johnson announced the hiring of Maddie Beal as an assistant coach on Tuesday. Joining Johnson’s staff alongside assistant coaches Jake Barreau and Zheng Xiang, Beal will assume her duties on July 1, 2023.
Beal arrives in East Lansing after spending the 2022 season at DePaul where she was an assistant coach under Marie Zidek. Prior to her stint at DePaul, Beal was a two-year graduate manager at Ole Miss, where the Rebels made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010.
“I would like to thank head coach Leah Johnson for adding me to her coaching staff,” said Beal. “I am honored for the opportunity to work with her and her staff here at Michigan State. It has always been my dream to coach in the Big Ten and I can’t think of a better staff to do it with. Coach Johnson has big plans to continue the rich history of Michigan State volleyball and I’m excited to be a part of it. I would also like to thank associate athletic director Julee Burgess and the entire administration, it is an honor to be a Spartan! Thank you to Marie Zidek at DePaul, I would not have gotten here without your mentorship.”
At DePaul, Beal worked with all aspects of the program including player development, scouting, recruiting, operations and community engagement, bringing well-rounded experience to the Spartan coaching staff. Beal was recently recognized in April 2023 as a recipient of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Thirty Under 30 award, which honors up-and-coming coaches at all levels of volleyball.
In May, Beal was a participant at the 52nd NCAA Women Coaches Academy, a program designed for women coaches to elevate their holistic coaching effectiveness by learning advanced leadership skills and strategies that directly affect their personal and team success. Participants focus on non-sport-specific concepts in an environment that fosters inclusion across the sports community.
“Maddie is a person of high character and exceptional work ethic,” said Johnson. “It was apparent from our first conversation that she is a natural teacher and mentor who is deeply invested in developing every student-athlete to their fullest potential.”
No stranger to the Big Ten Conference, Beal was a four-year letterwinner at Minnesota where she earned Academic…
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