A Familiar Face Returns to Graceland Men’s Volleyball

Eric Majors ’97

Athletic Director Brady McKillip ’00 announced the hiring of ERIC MAJORS ’97 as Head Coach for the men’s volleyball program.

Majors’ return to Graceland, where he was a standout player and coach, follows a successful stint as Assistant Coach for the Drake University Women’s Volleyball team. At Drake, he directed scouting reports and created game plans while serving as the primary blocking coach and offensive coordinator.

Prior to Drake, Majors was the head coach at Avila University, the Associate Head Coach at McNeese State University, and served at Graceland in the early 2000s both on the men’s and women’s teams.

During his time at Graceland, Majors helped the Graceland men’s team complete its most successful season in recent memory by winning the MAVIC West Conference tournament (2011-12) and qualifying for NAIA Nationals for the first time in school history since the NAIA restored an Invitational Championship in 2009. Majors directed the offensive attack for the women’s varsity team and helped guide them to their best finish in seven years by finishing 2nd in the conference and 2nd in the Heart of America Athletic Conference tournament (2012-13). Majors was named “AVCA/NAIA Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year” for his efforts.

On the club side, Majors spent time with the Texas Tornadoes Volleyball Club where he served as head coach of the 18 and 11 Mizuno. He guided the 18 Mizuno to the USAV Nationals with a bronze medal at the Mid-East National Qualifier and finished with the Houston Shootout in third place out of all teams in Houston. His 11 Mizuno team ranked in the Top 3 in Houston.

Majors also directed Sandshark Volleyball Club in Kansas City from 2006-2014. The Sandshark successfully qualified 50% of its teams to USAV Junior Nationals (one of the highest ratios in the heart of America Region). He trained numerous players who have gone on to be primary contributors in their collegiate careers.

As a men’s volleyball player at Graceland in the mid-1990s, Majors was a middle blocker for teams that finished 2nd, 5th, and 9th at the NIRSA Collegiate nationals, while being named to the MIVA all-tournament team his senior season.

Read the full news release here.