CLARKSVILLE, TN − Austin Peay State University has named Evan Amstutz, who helped lead Stephen F. Austin to conference championships in three of the last five seasons, as its 10th head volleyball coach, Vice President and Director of Athletics Gerald Harrison announced Wednesday.
“It is a great day to be a Gov, and I am so excited to welcome Evan, his wife Molly, and their children Charlotte and Ryan to Austin Peay!” said Harrison. “Coach Amstutz has had success in every stop of his coaching career; he is an innovator and a tireless worker who will bring new energy to our volleyball program. He is a believer in the ‘Total Gov Concept’ and I know that his teams will not only shine on the volleyball court, but in the classroom and our community!”
Amstutz has spent the past five seasons at Stephen F. Austin, where he began as an assistant coach before being promoted to associate head coach before the 2022 season. Before his time at SFA, Amstutz was an assistant coach at Angelo State for two seasons after serving as an assistant coach at Urbana during the 2017 season. Amstutz’s first head coaching experience came when he launched the men’s volleyball program at his alma mater Wittenberg and served as the program’s first head coach from 2015-16.
Before returning to his alma mater, Amstutz was a volunteer assistant at Miami (Ohio) for two seasons; he began his collegiate volleyball coaching career as a student assistant coach at Wittenberg from 2011-12.
“What an amazing opportunity in front of us here in Clarksville!” said Amstutz. “My family and I would never get opportunities like this if it wasn’t in God’s plan for us and how he wants to use us. So many people played a part in this, but my wife takes the cake. She is everything to our family, and nothing big would ever happen without her love, support, and faith in this crazy profession of mine. She and our two kids are ready to sprint to the Dunn Center to get things started!
“I’d like to thank Stephen F. Austin head coach Debbie Humphreys for everything she’s taught me, her mentoring and guidance, her trust in me with her team, and most importantly, our friendship. My mentors who came before SFA have shaped me in so many ways and have prepared me to serve a team in this role – Jesse Ortiz, Tim Balice, Chuck Waddington, Carolyn Condit, and Paco Labrador, to name just a few. The Nacogdoches, Texas, community will always hold a special place in my heart, and the friendships developed here will last a lifetime.
“We are ready to push Austin Peay volleyball to the next level, to accomplish amazing things, and to enjoy the ride. The Clarksville community, Austin Peay alumni, and fans all over will be proud of the volleyball team, how it competes, and the young professionals it graduates. Here we come! Let’s Go Peay!”