Mellinger steps down as LCSC’s volleyball coach

 12-14-06

Lewis-Clark State College women’s volleyball coach Erin Mellinger has submitted her resignation, college officials confirmed on Thursday. 

“We respect and understand Erin’s decision and we wish her the best,” LCSC Athletic Director Gary Picone says. 

Picone says he does not have a time table for hiring a new coach and will conduct an open search. 

LCSC loses only two seniors of the 2006 squad and will return five of its six starters next season. 

Mellinger has served as the Warriors’ coach the past two seasons and compiled a 12-41 record. The Warriors were 8-19 this season and placed sixth in the eight-team Frontier Conference standings. In her first year, the Warriors went 4-22 and finished last in the conference. LCSC lost in the opening round of the conference tournament in each of the past two seasons. 

Mellinger, 28, is the youngest coach in the history of the program and played at LCSC in 1999 as a defensive specialist for former coach Kip Yoshimura, who is now head coach at Gonzaga. The 1999 squad advanced to the NAIA national tournament. 

Mellinger is an Idaho native. She grew up in New Plymouth, north of Nampa, and graduated from New Plymouth High. She then attended Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Ore., where she played for two years. After a year at LCSC, she transferred to Chicago State University, where she earned the Coach’s Award. In 2001, she served as a graduate assistant coach at Chicago State and spent the following year as an assistant at the University of Great Falls. 

In May of 2003, Mellinger became head coach at Independence Community College in Kansas and coached there for two seasons.