SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – UC Santa Barbara has chosen a successor to replace legendary women's volleyball coach Kathy Gregory. Nicole Lantagne Welch has been hired by UCSB Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mark W. Massari to fill the shoes Gregory left vacant when she decided in January to retire after 38 years with the Gauchos.
Lantagne Welch has spent the past 12 years as the head women's volleyball coach at the University of Miami (FL) where she led the Hurricanes to 243 wins, five NCAA tournament appearances and one trip to the Sweet 16. Lantagne Welch will be formally introduced at the Gauchos new coach at an on-campus press conference on Thursday, February 14th. For more information, see story below.
Story provided by Bill Mahoney/UCSB Asst. Athletics Director, Communications
UC Santa Barbara Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mark W. Massari has confirmed that the Nicole Lantagne Welch has agreed to become the school's next women's volleyball coach, replacing the legendary Kathy Gregory who retired in January.
A native of Encinitas, Calif., Lantagne Welch, will be introduced at a Feb. 14 press conference/meet-the-coach event in the UCSB Intercollegiate Athletics Building on campus. She spent the last 12 years as the head coach at the University of Miami (Fla.) where she guided the program to 243 wins, five NCAA Tournament appearances – including the last four in a row – and the Sweet 16 in just her second season. In 2012, the Hurricanes were 25-6 overall and 17-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Following the season, she was named ACC and AVCA/East Region Coach of the Year.
Deputy Athletics Director Diane O'Brien and former head coach Kathy Gregory assisted on the search.
