Don Gromala

Assoc. Director of Volleyball, Head Coach-12 Navy

330-687-5919

Don is in his second year coaching and directing with NOVA after spending the past 22 seasons coaching collegiately. Last season he lead NOVA's 18 Navy team to a 2nd place finish at the USA Volleyball Junior National Championship in the National Division, one of his most memorable seasons of coaching ever.
He got into volleyball and started playing in high school growing up in the Chicagoland area, and is grateful for starting his more serious involvement with volleyball at Iowa State University as the Men's Volleyball Club setter/hitter, coach and club president.
After working collegiate camps and assisting DMACC and Iowa State Womens volleyball teams, he knew coaching was his passion. Don was then fortunate to start coaching in Ohio as a Grad Assistant at Ohio University while getting his Masters in Coaching Education degree, being a part of a program that experienced a NCAA DI Sweet 16 appearance and four straight MAC Championships while mentoring 23 all-conference players. Don then moved on to Ohio State with head coach Geoff Carlston, and helped return the program to multiple NCAA appearances while working with multiple All-Americans on one of the greatest stages of collegiate volleyball. Don was the Head Coach at Kent State University from 2012-2021 and lead the program to its first MAC Defensive Player of the Year, win over a nationally-ranked opponent and first MAC East Division Championship while having the honor of working with 13 All-MAC, 66 Academic All-MAC student-athletes and numerous others that helped shaped him to become the coach he is today. He is also currently an assistant coach at Cleveland State University.
Don is forever thankful for all of the staff members he has worked with, and colleagues and friends he has due to the sport of volleyball. He looks forward to developing younger athletes and working with an awesome staff at NOVA. Don is also the proud dad to Josie, whom you may see on the sidelines or in Goodyear hall as the best assistant ever!