SpringfieldNewsSun.com

DAYTON — As University of Dayton football coach Mike Kelly chatted with Albany counterpart Bob Ford before the Gridiron Classic at Welcome Stadium last fall, their conversation turned to volleyball.

"I was raving about our volleyball coach, and he was raving about his," Kelly said.

Details of that interaction surfaced Tuesday, March 25, when Kelly Sheffield, who built a perennial power at Albany, was announced as Dayton's new coach, succeeding the popular Tim Horsman, who left for Maryland.

Kelly, now retired from coaching, was on the search committee and remembered what Ford said about Sheffield: "He said half his football players would have walked out on the guy. He said he's good, but he's demanding."

And exactly the type of coach UD Athletic Director Ted Kissell thinks can take the Flyers to the next level after they went 33-2 last season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament, the best season in school history.

"What brings me here is the seriousness of the administration, fans, players and the community for having an elite program," said Sheffield, a Muncie, Ind., native and Ball State University graduate.

During the interview process, Sheffield won support from many players, including fifth-year senior Erin Schroeder, whose group requested 15 extra minutes with him.

"You're not going to be successful without someone pushing you," Schroeder said. "To me, his demeanor was very competitive, and that's what we need."

In seven years under Sheffield, Albany went to three NCAA tournaments, won 20 matches four times and soared up the RPI rankings from 295th (out of 313 Division I volleyball schools) in 2000 to 40th.

"I'm leaving an incredible place and a great team," Sheffield said. "It was going to take an extraordinary situation for me to leave, and I truly believe I found that in Dayton."