De Jesus named CCSJ Men's, Women's Head Volleyball Coach

Whiting, IN – Calumet College of St. Joseph and Interim Director of Athletics David Lopez announced on May 1, 2024, that Emilier De Jesus has been named the head coach for both the CCSJ Men's and Women's Volleyball programs. 

De Jesus served as the men's assistant volleyball coach for the Crimson Wave during the 2023-24 season, but this will be the first time the Puerto Rico native will have the opportunity to be a head coach at the collegiate level.

"I'm really excited to have this opportunity as my first college coaching job," De Jesus said. "I look forward to bringing the best out of each team. My hope is we create a family environment where everyone looks out for one another and we're all proud to come back to where we graduated from."

Prior to coming to CCSJ in 2023, De Jesus has had the opportunity to coach volleyball from as young as fourth grade to as old as high school varsity. He's coached varsity high school volleyball from 2018-2022 and has been a coach/mentor at the Kealoha Volleyball Club in Northwest Indiana for the past six years.

Coaching for the Kealoha Volleyball Club is where De Jesus met former head volleyball coach Jessica Reyes. She took a liking to the way he coached athletes and thought he would be a great addition to the Crimson Wave staff. 

De Jesus said he owes Reyes and other previous coaches throughout his life for preparing him for this moment, but said Reyes specifically, because she couldn't have left him in a better situation. 

"Jessica [Reyes] did a great job and left me with a great situation," De Jesus said. "I want to thank her for leaving me with such a strong base and helping me understand the importance of getting everyone on the same page to win. … I would like to also thank Kim Berrington and Craig Cromwell for getting me ready for where I am today."

The CCSJ men's volleyball team is coming off a stellar season, ending the year with a 20-9 record and reaching the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship match for the first time in program history. The women's team is coming off a 6-15 season, but won four conference matches, which is the most the team has won in the past seven years. 

One milestone on De Jesus' list is getting the women's program to find similar success as the men's program. He believes the key to the men's volleyball success is that they have a lot of talent that pushes one another on the court and they're a family off the court.

"The main thing with the boys is that they are a family that is happy for each other and encourages each other," De Jesus said. "They also have 12 very good guys. … As far as the girls I haven't been around them very much, but I know that their numbers are less. Establishing roles will be the first step in the right direction for the team and we'll go from there."

De Jesus will be accompanied by assistant coaches Emileishka De Jesus, Brent Banic and Jessica Wynn is his first season.