AVE MARIA, Fla. — The Ave Maria University Athletic Department is excited to name John Schmidt as the new head coach of the Gyrene Indoor and Beach Volleyball program. Schmidt brings 30 years of volleyball coaching experience with him to Southwest Florida and is excited to get started with the Gyrenes.

"I am incredibly humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Head Volleyball Coach at Ave Maria University," said Schmidt. "This isn't simply a coaching position, it is an opportunity to invest in the lives of young women and to faithfully live out the calling God has placed on my heart."

Schmidt has made stops at all levels in collegiate athletics including NCAA Divisions I & II and the NAIA. At the NAIA level, Schmidt has been the head coach of two programs: Hastings and Brescia. Schmidt was the head coach at Brescia in 2019 in which the Bearcats won 27 matches, were named the River States Conference Regular Season Champions and earned a bid to the NAIA National Championship. Most recently, Schmidt was the head coach at Hastings College in 2025.

At the NCAA level, Schmidt has been the head coach of Tarleton State, Louisiana-Monroe and West Alabama. He has also been an assistant coach at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, North Texas, and Belmont. During his tenure at Belmont, the Bears posted three seasons ranking in the top four of the Ohio Valley Conference.

"We are excited to welcome Coach Schmidt to our staff as the head volleyball coach," said Vice President of Athletics John Weisbrod. "His wealth of experience and knowledge of the game is really impressive and we can't wait to see how he will lead our girls both on and off the court."

Schmidt becomes the eighth head coach in program history at Ave Maria. In 2025, the Gyrenes posted their best conference record since 2022 which clinched them as the number four seed in the Sun Conference Tournament. During the spring beach season, Ave Maria won the Sun Conference Tournament for the first time in program history and made their second ever appearance at the NAIA National Invitational.

The 2026 season kicks off August 21 for the Gyrenes in Kingsport, Tennessee, as the Gyrene participate in the Milligan Mountain Madness. Ave Maria will play four games in the season-opening neutral site tournament. AMU first home game at the Golisano Field House is September 3 when the Gyrenes will play host to the Florida National Conquistadors.