Sam Erger
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | SMU |
| Conference | ACC |
| Record | 73–25 (.745) |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | June 12, 1989 |
| Alma mater | Bowling Green State University (B.A.) University of Findlay (MBA) |
| Playing career | |
| 2007–2010 | Bowling Green State |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2011–2012 | Findlay (Graduate assistant) |
| 2013 | Hill College |
| 2014–2021 | Baylor |
| 2022–present | SMU |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 102–34 (.750) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| American Athletic Conference Champions (2023) North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference Champions (2013) | |
| Awards | |
| AVCA Thirty Under 30.[1] North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference District F Coach of the Year (2013) | |
Samantha "Sam" Erger (née Fish; born June 12, 1989) is an American former volleyball player who is the head coach of the Southern Methodist University (SMU) women's volleyball team. She previously served as head coach at Hill College, and was an assistant coach at Baylor and University of Findlay.
Personal life
[edit]Erger and her husband, James, who played basketball at Bowling Green State, have three children. Her father, Jim Fish, is a prominent high school volleyball coach at North Branch High School in North Branch, Michigan.[2]
Career
[edit]Playing career
[edit]Erger was a setter for Bowling Green State from 2007 to 2010. She graduated ranking fifth all-time in career assists, second in single-season assists, and top 10 in career aces in the school's record book. Following graduation, she was a member of the inaugural class of the 2011 FCA Volleyball college internship program and was a 2010 American Volleyball Coaches Association Coaches for Coaches scholarship recipient. Erger graduated from Bowling Green State in 2011 with a degree in business administration and marketing.[2]
Coaching career
[edit]Prior to being named the head coach at SMU, Erger had two collegiate coaching jobs, at Findlay (graduate assistant), before making her head coach debut at Hill College in 2013. In her sole season as head coach, she led Hill College to a 29–9 record, an NTJCAC Conference title and ended a 12-year school drought by reaching the NJCAA Division I national tournament. She was subsequently honored as the 2013 NJCAA District F Coach of the Year.[2]
She was named as assistant coach at Baylor University in 2014. During her eight seasons at the program, she also served as the recruiting coordinator, setting coach, and was promoted to associate head coach her final two seasons.[2]
In 2022, she was named head coach of the SMU Mustang's women's volleyball team. The team had a strong season in her debut year as head coach, finishing 3rd in conference play. In her second season, she led the team to the American Athletic Conference title and a berth into the NCAA tournament. In 2024, SMU moved to the ACC conference. The team made national headlines for two major upsets during the season: defeating then–number 2 ranked Nebraska in a stunning 3–0 sweep,[3] then following with an even bigger upset, when they defeated conference foe and number 1 ranked Pittsburgh, handing the then-undefeated Panthers their first loss of the season.[4] SMU would go on to finish 4th in what is considered one of the toughest volleyball conferences in the country.
Head coaching record
[edit]| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hill College (North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference) (2013) | |||||||||
| 2013 | Hill College | 29–9 | 1st | National Junior College Athletic Association Division I tournament appearance | |||||
| Hill College: | 29–9 (.763) | – (–) | |||||||
| SMU (AAC) (2022–2023) | |||||||||
| 2022 | SMU | 22–10 | 15–5 | 3rd | |||||
| 2023 | SMU | 26–7 | 18–1 | 1st | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| SMU (ACC) (2024–present) | |||||||||
| 2024 | SMU | 25–8 | 16–4 | 4th | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| SMU: | 73–25 (.745) | 49–10 (.831) | |||||||
| Total: | 102–34 (.750) | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
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