Long-time Cardinal Gibbons High School volleyball coach JimFreeman, who led the Crusaders to a phenomenal 10 N.C. High SchoolAthletic Association state championships in his past 12 years, hasbeen hired as Barton College's volleyball coach in January of2011.
Freeman, who was an assistant coach with the Duke Universitywomen's volleyball team in the fall of 2011, will take over thewomen's program at Barton and begin recruitment of the new men'steam, which will open play the fall of 2011.
The Barton women enjoyed their best season in 2010 in thefive-year tenure of Patrick Morgan, finishing tied for third in theleague at 11-7 and 16-15 overall. However, that squad featuredseven seniors, so Freeman will be rebuilding the women's team whilestarting the men's team.
Freeman, a resident of Wake Forest, N.C., has also been a coachin the Triangle Volleyball Club for five years. His 20-year highschool coaching record was a stellar 426-117 (.785), including oneyear at Friendship Christian in Raleigh and 19 seasons (1991-2010)at Cardinal Gibbons, where his team was annually ranked in the Top25 nationally and produced 25 NCAA Division I players and a handfulof high school All-Americans. With Freeman's help, the Blue Devilswon the 2010 ACC Championship and advanced to the Elite Eight,where they lost to eventual national champ Penn State and finishedwith a No. 18 ranking.
Freeman feels his contacts from 20 years in the Triangle areawill help him build both programs - and attract high-levelstudent-athletes.
As for the men, Freeman said the last time he checked, therewere only 16 Division II men's teams nationally, "so I think theinterest in our program will be very high. The men also playtogether (DI, DII and DIII) all compete against each other for thenational title), so I am excited about that. The men play more of apower game, where it is a big serving, blocking and attacking gamewith big jump serves."
Freeman has never coached men, but then again, he "had neverseen a volleyball game before I coached one (at FriendshipChristian)." The quick study immersed himself in volleyball booksand videos and surrounded himself with experienced coaches, whichled to one of the most successful high school runs in statehistory.
The Alabama native, who was raised in the Pittsburgh area, saidthe Crusaders became a volleyball powerhouse because the girlsstarted playing year-round. At one point, he coached a squad thathad nine future Division I players on its roster. He has coached 25Division I players that have, or are, attending Penn State, UCLA,Notre Dame, Duke, UNC, Wake Forest, LSU and N.C. State, amongothers.
Freeman was assistant director of athletics at Cardinal Gibbonsand coached the varsity baseball team to three conferencechampionships from 1992-97 and was an assistant varsity girlsbasketball coach from 1997-2005 as the Lady Crusaders claimed fourconference crowns.
He is a 1985 graduate of Liberty University with a Bachelor ofScience degree in Physical Education and completed 30 hours ofgraduate study in Exercise & Sports Science at UNC. He is amember of the American Volleyball Coaches Association and theNational Strength and Conditioning Association.
As for his coaching style, Freeman said: "We will be extremelycompetitive and won't give away points with unforced errors. Wewill try to control the ball in every facet of play. My women'steams would just grind people down and give them nothing, and ittakes experienced, tough-minded kids to do that.
"I want to win every game we play, and I am not going to insultanybody with low expectations. We are going to get the bestplayers, who are the best students and the best citizens, and letit rock."
