NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State volleyball head coach Leah Johnson has bolstered her coaching staff, as she announced the addition of former Pitt assistant Mike Becker to her Redbird staff. Becker replaces Peter Netisingha, who left the program to pursue other career opportunities.
Becker comes to Illinois State after serving as the Director of Operations at Pitt for the last three seasons. Pitt reached the NCAA Tournament in each of Becker's years on staff, marking the program's longest postseason streak since reaching five-consecutive NCAA Tournaments from 1990-94. The Panthers also earned back-to-back ACC Championships in 2017 and 2018 with Becker on the sidelines.
"Mike is a great addition to our program and staff," Johnson said. "He is a person of high character that values service and growth, which fit perfectly with our program values. His character is equally matched by his competitive mentality. Â He understands what it takes to earn a championship both as a student-athlete and as part of a coaching staff."
In his role as Director of Operations, Becker controlled the day-to-day operations for the volleyball team, including serving as a liaison to athletic department officials. In 2018, the Panthers won their second consecutive ACC Championship title and made their third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Pitt earned its highest single-season winning percentage in program history (.938), marking their most wins in a season since 1990 (30-2), and posted its highest ACC season winning percentage in program history (.944, 17-1).
"First off, I want to thank coach Dan Fisher at Pitt for preparing me for this moment," Becker said. "Having the opportunity to work with coach Leah Johnson and the staff she has put together at ISU is something that I couldn't be more excited and grateful for. Illinois State is fortunate to have such a beautiful campus and a support staff that is very passionate about this program. Coming off a conference championship, I know the future is bright for Redbird Volleyball and I am eager to get in the gym and train with the team."
Prior to joining the staff at Pitt, Becker was the head coach of the Pacific Coast Volleyball Club from 2014-16. In that role, he headed the Pacific Coast Volleyball Club 18U team, creating practice plans and game strategies along with teaching fundamental skills. He also helped mentor multiple players who signed to continue their careers at surrounding area colleges. He also served as the Delta Valley Volleyball Club head coach from 2013-14, leading the 18U team to a Gold Division finish in northern California.
During that same period, Becker worked in the development department at the University of the Pacific. From 2013-15, he was the Coordinator of Athletics Development and conducted prospect visits and worked closely with volunteers to successfully improve the Pacific Athletic Foundation (PAF) Drive. From there, he became the Annual Giving manger from 2015-2016 where he assisted with management of the PAF, leading volunteer engagement for athletic fund drives and enhancing donor relations. He also managed annual and campaign business plans and activities to achieve annual giving fundraising goals.
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A native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Becker was a standout collegiate student-athlete at Springfield College from 2009-2013. His teams won three Division III NCAA Championships in 2010, 2012 and 2013 while concluding 2011 as the national runner-up. Voted as the team MVP during the 2013 NCAA Championship run, Becker played under highly-decorated USA and NCAA volleyball coach, Charlie Sullivan. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in sport management from Springfield College in 2013 and a Master of Science in athletic administration from University of the Pacific in 2016.
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