Dan Mathews enters his sixth season as the head coach of the University of Sioux Falls Women's Volleyball program in 2026. Since arriving in Sioux Falls, Mathews has compiled an 83-58 overall record and a 59-37 mark in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play, guiding the Cougars to four winning seasons, three NSIC Tournament appearances, and six victories over nationally ranked opponents.
Mathews led the Cougars to one of their most successful seasons in 2025, finishing with a 20-10 overall record and a 14-6 mark in NSIC play. Under his direction, USF ranked among the conference's top teams offensively, outhitting opponents .279 to .205 while averaging 13.5 kills per set and totaling 1,469 kills. The Cougars also anchored the net with 232 total blocks and advanced to the NSIC Tournament for the third time under Mathews.
The 2025 season was equally impressive in the classroom and in postseason recognition. USF earned six NSIC Team of Excellence selections, five NSIC All-Academic honors, four CSC Academic All-District selections, and produced a pair of First Team All-NSIC honorees in Sadie Voss and Ella Walker. Voss also garnered AVCA All-Region and AVCA All-America Honorable Mention recognition after becoming one of the premier outside hitters in Division II.
During his tenure at USF, Mathews has coached nine All-NSIC selections, one NSIC Freshman of the Year in Sadie Voss (2022), one AVCA All-Region honoree, and one AVCA All-American Honorable Mention recipient. His teams have also excelled academically, producing eight NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction awards, 20 NSIC All-Academic selections, 33 NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence honorees, four CSC Academic All-District selections, and 11 D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award recipients. The program also earned the AVCA Team Academic Award during the 2024-25 academic year.
In 2024, the Cougars posted a 15-12 overall record and finished eighth in the NSIC standings, while eight student-athletes earned NSIC Team of Excellence honors and four were named NSIC All-Academic. In 2023, USF finished 13-15 and again placed eighth in the conference, with 10 student-athletes receiving Team of Excellence recognition and four earning CSC Academic All-District honors.
Mathews arrived at USF after four seasons as the head coach of both the men's and women's volleyball programs at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He guided the programs to a combined 140-113 overall record and an 82-35 conference mark. In 2018, he was named NAIA Men's Volleyball National Coach of the Year and earned Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's Volleyball Coach of the Year honors in both 2018 and 2020.
Prior to Cardinal Stritch, Mathews led Clarke University's men's volleyball program to a 30-8 record over two seasons before serving as an assistant coach for the NCAA Division I indoor and beach volleyball programs at the University of Portland from 2015-16.
As a player, Mathews competed professionally from 2008-13 with Al-Ain Volleyball Club in Abu Dhabi, Volley Guada in Madrid, Spain, and in Switzerland with Volley Amriswil and Chênois Volleyball Club. He also competed in the CEV European Volleyball Cup for three seasons.
Mathews represented the United States internationally at the 2003 FIVB NORCECA Youth World Qualifier, the 2005 NORCECA Junior World Qualifier, and the 2006 FIVB Junior World Championships. From 2008-09, he trained with Team USA in Anaheim, California, under Olympic gold medal-winning coaches Hugh McCutcheon and Ron Larsen.
At The Ohio State University, Mathews was a two-time NCAA Division I First Team All-American and two-time MIVA Player of the Year. He earned MIVA First Team All-Conference honors three times and helped lead the Buckeyes to two NCAA Final Four appearances, two MIVA Championships, and two MIVA Tournament titles.
Mathews graduated from The Ohio State University in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in Medieval European History. He was a three-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and the recipient of the 2008 Big Ten Medal of Honor. He later earned a master's degree in Sport Management from Cardinal Stritch University in 2020 and completed his Doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of Sioux Falls.
A 2004 graduate of Shorewood High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mathews is the proud father of two sons, Lucas and Thomas.
USF Records and Accomplishments
- 83-58 overall record entering the 2026 season
- 59-37 NSIC record entering the 2026 season
- Four winning seasons in five completed seasons
- Three NSIC Tournament appearances (2022, 2024, 2025)
- Six wins over nationally ranked opponents
- One NSIC Freshman of the Year (Sadie Voss – 2022)
- Nine All-NSIC selections
- One AVCA All-Region honoree
- One AVCA All-American Honorable Mention selection
- Eight NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction awards (seven individual recipients)
- 20 NSIC All-Academic Team selections
- 33 NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence selections
- Eight CSC Academic All-District honorees
- 11 D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award recipients
- One NSIC Britton Kelly Award recipient (Krista Goerger – 2021-22)
- AVCA Team Academic Award recipient (2024-25)
