Second-year head coach Heather Dunn has decided to step away from her position to focus on family and other endeavours that the Lord has put on her heart.
Corban's Dunn Steps Down to Focus on Family
SALEM, Ore. – Second-year head women’s volleyball coach Heather Dunn has made a personal decision to step down from her post effective immediately, as announced Wednesday by Dr. Dave Bale, Corban’s Dean of Athletic Activity.
“I have been praying about my role as a coach, wife, and mother over the past few weeks and have decided that the Lord is calling me to be a full-time wife and mom,” commented Dunn. “My family is also looking at going into missions full-time and we want to be prepared for that when the opportunity arises.”
Over the past two seasons, Dunn has guided the Warrior volleyball program to a combined 24 wins that included 20 victories in Cascade Collegiate Conference play. In back-to-back seasons, Dunn helped Corban post a pair of 12-14 win-loss records that included the program’s first visit to the Cascade Collegiate Conference post-season tournament since the ’04 season.
“(The past two seasons) have been a great experience,” said Dunn. “This was a dream job for me, because I love volleyball, athletics, and Corban. I have grown a lot through being at Corban and this has helped me to understand more clearly what the Lord wants for me and my family. My goal as a coach was to share and show my teams what it means to be ‘a woman of God’ and that has been where the Lord has and continues to challenge me.”
A former Warrior, Dunn played for then-Western Baptist from 1996-99, where she became one of the premier defensive specialists in the conference. An honorable mention all-conference selection, Dunn was voted Corban’s most improved player in ’96 and ’97, and best defensive player in ’98 and ’99. The Warriors posted an 85-50 win-loss record during her career.
Following her playing career, Dunn moved from the court to the bench where she served for four seasons as an assistant coach under former head coach Tracy Smith. After a two-year absence, Dunn returned as an assistant coach prior to the 2006 season and helped Smith during her final season at the helm of the Warriors.
“I love Corban and I am excited to see what is happening within the athletic office under the leadership of Dr. Bale,” said Dunn. “I trust that the administration will bring in a coach that will continue to take the program to the next level, while glorifying God.”
Corban will opens its 2009 season at the Cougar Classic in Southern California against classic-host Azusa Pacific University on Friday, August 21st, at 9:00 a.m. The Warriors return six players from last season’s team, to go along with seven new recruits.
“I have known Heather since she was a student at Corban and have been impressed with her as a student/athlete, as an assistant coach, and as our head coach,” said Bale. “I was looking forward to working with her this year, but God has other plans for the Dunn family and I am excited for them in this new adventure. Heather and her family have made this decision for the right reasons and we wish them well. We know Heather, Josh, Grace, and Hattie will always be Warriors.”
The college has not made a decision about the vacant women’s volleyball head coaching position at this time.