Daniel Coates became Lake Forest College first head men's volleyball coach in the summer of 2025.
Coates joined the Foresters after two seasons as a graduate assistant at Concordia University Chicago. The Cougars tied for fifth place in the 13-team Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference in 2025 and Coates coached the league's leader in points per set. Concordia boasted the NACC's leader in kills and points by a freshman in 2024 and the team's setter became the first in program history to surpass 2,000 career assists.
In addition to on-court coaching at Concordia Chicago, Coates also assisted the head coach in all aspects of the program. He earned his master's degree in applied exercise science.
Coates obtained his bachelor's degree in political science from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 2023. He served as president of the school's club volleyball program and as a practice assistant for the women's varsity team. Coates also began his coaching career as an assistant with Borderline Volleyball Club, which is also located in Oxford, Ohio.
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