By Danny Waldo
The rebuild of the Montana State volleyball team took a significant step in the wrong direction recently when head coach JJ Riley tendered his resignation to athletic director Leon Costello.
Riley just recently completed his second season in Bozeman after coming to the Bobcats from the University of Utah following stops at Pepperdine and USC. Although the wins did not pile up during Riley’s two-year tenure, the young ‘Cats were making progress in the right direction. This past season, the Bobcats moved up 45 spots in the NCAA Division I RPI despite playing with a roster filled with freshman and sophomores, and the ‘Cats finished fifth in the Big Sky North division after finishing sixth the previous year.
“It is with a heavy heart that I have decided to step down as the head volleyball coach at Montana State,” Riley said. “Recently my wife and I were presented with some different opportunities that will allow us to raise our boys near family as well as provide me the opportunity to be more involved in their young lives. These two factors were the driving force behind this difficult decision. It is very hard to walk away from a career path that I have been on for over 13 years and especially hard to walk away from such an amazing place as Montana State, this team, program, and community.”
“I want to thank Leon, Camie (Bechtold), my coaching staff, and this department for their amazing support and understanding that they have demonstrated toward my family during this difficult decision making process,” Riley stated. “I also want to thank the team for all of their dedication, hard work, and sacrifices that they have put forth in building this foundation on which to grow on. With the current athletes, incoming athletes, and recruits that we have, I truly believe the future is bright.”
“Montana State and Bozeman have been wonderful to my family, and these memories will be a part of us forever,” Riley continued. “I will always be a Bobcat and I am excited to watch the continued growth and success of all programs from afar. I thank all of the amazing fans for their support and pride in Bobcat athletics.”
Athletic Director Leon Costello has indicated that assistant coach Daniel Jones will serve as the interim coach during the 2017 season, and a national search will commence upon the conclusion of the 2017 season. Jones has been the lead assistant for the past two seasons on Riley’s staff.