2009 marks the second season as a collegiate head coach for Marissa, after two seasons as an assistant coach in the Vanguard volleyball program. After officially accepting the position in August 2008 with little time prepare for her first season, Cothran did a magnificent job in her head coaching debut, guiding the Lions to their first-ever NAIA National Tournament appearance. Her full knowledge of recruiting and her returning classes led to a smooth transition for the entire program, and a season of great success. The 2008 Lions finished with an 18-12 overall record, including a 10-10 record in the Golden State Athletic Conference. The GSAC, undoubtedly the toughest conference in the nation, sported seven of the top 17 teams in the final NAIA ranking. To achieve a record of .500 in the GSAC is not an easy task, particularly in transition to a new coach. However, Cothran did an outstanding job getting the most out of her team’s talent, and the Lions finished the season ranked seventeenth in the country. At Nationals, the VU volleyball program proved it belonged in the NAIA’s elite, as Cothran led them to a ninth-place finish overall. Including her three-year stint on the Vanguard coaching staff and a very successful playing career with the Lions, Cothran has played a big part of the promising development of the Vanguard Volleyball program over the past six years. As an assistant, Cothran coordinated recruiting efforts and specialized in training the Vanguard setters to run the Lion offense. Cothran started her coaching career not long after graduating from Newport Harbor High School. Working with junior high, high school and club levels, Cothran has coached both boys and girls teams, including the boys freshman and varsity teams at her alma mater. Most recently, Cothran had the opportunity to work with Elite Sports International, where she coached a select group of Southern California high school players who were chosen to travel to and compete in Hawaii earlier this summer. Cothran’s playing career has also helped prepare her for her first collegiate head coaching position. Competing at a championship level with Orange County Club Volleyball, Newport Harbor High School, and Golden West junior college, Cothran proceeded on to an extremely successful three-year playing career at Vanguard. Helping the Lions earn a 62-37 record as a player, she was also a part of the Lion team which set a new program record for wins in a season and made the Region II postseason playoffs her final two years. As a two-year team captain for the Lions, Marissa was a two-time All-GSAC setter and a terrific team leader. The offensive quarterback completed her collegiate playing career by leading the Lions to the Region II playoffs in 2005, and graduated from Vanguard at the end of the semester. Earning the 2005 Champions of Character award for Vanguard, the GSAC, and Region II, Cothran has been a great example of the type of student-athlete the Lions are trying to produce and recruit. "I am humbled to have been selected the Head Volleyball Coach at my alma mater," commented Cothran. "I feel so blessed to be able to work with a staff that is so supportive, talented, and diligent." Following her graduation, Cothran attained her California Teaching Credential while she broke into collegiate coaching as an assistant in the VU volleyball program. She is pursuing a master’s degree in Education at Vanguard. |