(718) 488-1532, toby.rens@liu.edu

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ABOUT COACH RENS
One of the top coaches in the Northeast region, head coach Toby Rens enters his third season at the helm of Long Island University’s volleyball program looking to continue his unmatched success. The Iowa native has helped the Blackbirds score back-to-back Northeast Conference titles and NCAA tournament appearances and set a school record for victories in a season (32). Simply put, he has built the Blackbirds into one of the top programs in the region.

Last season, the squad finished undefeated in NEC play and became the first conference team to win a match in NCAA tournament action, sweeping Cornell, 3-0. Rens was tabbed 2005 NEC Coach of the Year and matched a school record as four players were named to the all-conference team, including Player of the Year Lizelle Jackson.

During his first season in Brooklyn in 2004, Rens guided the Blackbirds to their first NEC championship and regional ranking with a solid core group of athletes. LIU entered the NCAA Tournament with the most wins in the country (32), capping off a sensational season. Rens coached the team’s first all-region selection, Cristina Pintilie, and set a school-record with four players garnering NEC postseason awards.

In watching an LIU match, it is easy to see why the team enjoyed immediate success under Rens. His likeable personality and willingness to help his athletes improve makes this players’ coach one any school would want on its side.

His work ethic is also unquestioned, as illustrated by an NCAA News article that documented his participation in the 30th annual Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. Last December, he ran the race with his two sisters in memory of his brother-in-law and Heather’s husband, Marine Captain Shawn Brock. Brock was killed in action in Iraq at the age of 29 and was an inspirational part of his training. Rens noted in the article that his team also served as motivation during his first 26.2-mile race, the goal was to finish. Because the date of the marathon fell in the middle of the season, Rens showed his team true motivation as he squeezed in training runs around the end of recruiting, the start of preseason and two-a-day practices and, finally, in-season competition.

“ As a coach, you’re asking them to go the extra mile and give the extra effort in practice and competition. I had that in my mind in doing my preparation and during the marathon. They were giving me the effort, so there was a big part of me that wanted to prove that I could do the same.”

Whether it is challenging his team during a match, in practice or with a demanding schedule that features the nation’s elite teams, Rens gets the most of his athletes. His determination rubs off on his players, making the Blackbirds one of the area’s most feared and well-respected programs.

Rens became LIU’s fifth coach following an impeccable career at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He went 46-27 over the final two seasons and 49-55 total in three years with the Hawks. He guided the program to a 26-12 mark in 2003, claiming a berth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference final after finishing the regular season in second place.

UMES went 20-15 in 2002 and advanced to the conference final, earning Rens MEAC Coach-of-the-Year honors one year after finishing 3-28 in his initial campaign. When Rens took over the squad, the Hawks had not won a match in over two years.

Sandwiched between head coaching positions, he served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Texas Tech in 2000. Rens helped the Red Raiders finish 24-9 and gain an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament.

He guided Northern Michigan from 1998-99 to a 58-17 record, two Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular-season crowns and a pair of NCAA Division II Tournament appearances. The Wildcats won their first league title with an unblemished conference record. It was at Northern Michigan where Rens coached an All-American, a GLIAC Player of the Year, a conference tournament MVP and seven all-league players.

A sound recruiter, Rens has a penchant for turning around programs with depleted rosters. He posted a winning record at UMES in 2002 despite using several walk-ons and few recruits. His second championship at Northern Michigan featured a squad with several inexperienced players. When he arrived at LIU, there were only four players on the roster who competed in a collegiate match.

Rens began his coaching career in 1992 as an assistant at his alma mater, Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. He helped the squad to a 20-16 record and the next season served as an assistant at Tennessee Tech, where they posted a 21-14 mark.

It was at George Washington University where Rens notched his greatest success as an assistant. From 1994-97, the Colonials won two Atlantic 10 Conference championships, advanced to the NCAA Tournament twice and finished 17th in the country on two occasions. He also guided the men’s club team in 1995.

Rens also has been an active member in the community. He served as program director for the Mid-America West Girls Club Volleyball Program in Iowa and founded the Tennessee Junior Volleyball Association. In Tennessee, he guided one of his two squads to a fifth-place finish in the Under-16 division out of 230 teams. Rens also was a developer of the D.C. Juniors Club Volleyball Program, where he was a coach and head technical director. Rens’ influence can be felt on the national level as he has served as a voter for the USA Today/AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll.

Rens graduated from Morningside in 1992 with a B.A. in Physical Education and worked on his Masters at Tennessee Tech in Education.