Head Volleyball Coach

Ryan Mitchell

In 2010, Coach Mitchell led the Varsity team to its' third straight State Championship with a 46-3 record. In addition, the team was named the #1 Team in Texas according to Lonestarvolleyball.com and was named "Team of the Year" by the same organization. He was named coach of the year for 11-AAA and was a speaker at TGCA Coaches Convention and THSCA Summer Convention. In 2009, Coach Mitchell led the Varsity team to its second straight State Championship with a 43-7 record. He was named TGCA Coach of the Year for 1-3AAA coaches and was voted the coach of the TGCA East All-Star team for 1-3AAA teams. In addition, he was named Texas Sportswriter's Coach of the Year in 2009. In 2008, Coach Mitchell led the Varsity team to its first State Championship and a 40-5 record. He was named Dallas Morning News Coach of the Year and District 13-AAA Coach of the Year in 2008. Previously in 2007, Mitchell compiled a 32-8 varsity season and led the Leopards in their first varsity season to a Regional Tournament Appearance and the District 9-AAA title. Coach Mitchell came to Lovejoy having coached at Hebron High School for 5 years as an assistant and one year at Irving Nimitz as Head Volleyball Coach. Coach Mitchell attended Dallas Baptist University where he played on the men's volleyball team as a setter. He is actively involved in club volleyball having coached for Victory Volleyball Club for 8 years and taken 7 teams to the Junior Olympic Championships during that time. Most recently in 2009, Coach Mitchell began coaching for TAV and led his 14's team to a 3rd place Bronze Medal at the 2009 Junior Olympic Championships in Reno and a 7th place finish in 14 Open in 2010. He has recently taken the Head Coaching job for Skyline Juniors as the top 18's coach. Coach Mitchell lives in McKinney Texas with his two boys Reid (6) and Eli (4).

Assistant Coach

Erin McClanahan

Erin McClanahan enters her second season with the Leopard volleyball program this year, after spending the four years at Stephen F. Austin State University as an assistant coach with the Ladyjack volleyball team. McClanahan will be assisting with Varsity, as well as head coaching JV Red. Erin is a former Division One athlete, completing a successful collegiate playing career at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Saint Louis University.
McClanahan was a success off the court as well. She was named to the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll both seasons in the conference and was named to the A-10 Academic All-Conference team in 2005. Her senior year, she served as president of the SLU Student Athlete Advisory Committee and was also the Chair of the A-10 SAAC.
The St. Louis native spent three years as a coach with the Team Saint Louis club, twice helping guide the squad to the national tournament, and helped start Team Unity, a club in Nacogdoches. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Saint Louis University in May 2006, and her Master's of Public Administration from SFA in December 2008. In her free time, Erin likes to run, read, cook, and watch reality TV.

Assistant Coach

Amy Puente

Amy Puente will begin her first season with the high school Leopard volleyball program. This is her second year teaching in the Lovejoy ISD at Sloan Creek Middle School. Prior to starting at Lovejoy, Amy coached JV volleyball and assisted Varsity volleyball at Berkner HS in Richardson. Amy was also the former Varsity volleyball coach at a TAPPS 3A school in Tyler. She lead this team in an undefeated season and was named TAPPS 3A Coach of the Year.
Amy started her coaching career while attending Texas A&M University in College Station. While at Texas A&M Amy received her B.A. in Spanish with a Coaching minor. In her free time Amy enjoys skate boarding, drinking coffee and traveling.

Assistant Coach

Jeff Kear

Coach Kear has been with the Lovejoy Volleyball program from the first year and has coached the Freshmen team for five years. He is Head Coach for Girls Soccer at Lovejoy and is active in club soccer. Coach Kear spent ten years teaching and coaching in Granbury, and three years at Wylie High School before coming to open Lovejoy High School. A graduate of the University of North Texas, Coach Kear is unmarried, is the father of two children, Allan (21), and Elizabeth (25). Coach Kear may be old, but he still plays adult soccer and runs and is an avid reader.

Head Athletic Trainer

Quentin Oliphant

Quentin Oliphant is currently Head Athletic Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for the Lovejoy secondary program. Coach "Q", as he is affectionately called by his athletes, graduated from Plano East Sr. High in 1987. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education with an emphasis in Sport Science from Upper Iowa Univ. He then came back to Texas and worked one year at Signature Athletic Club as a personal trainer. Coach Q was awarded a Master of Sport Science degree in Sports Medicine from the U.S. Sports Academy. He completed his coursework for a M.S. in Rehabilitation Science from the California Univ. at Pennsylvania. Coach Q is NASM certified in the areas of performance enhancement and corrective exercise. He is currently working on his Dr. of Health Education at A.T. Still Univ. of Health Sciences in Mesa, Arizona. He has worked at McKinney North H.S., Mount Pleasant H.S., Van Alstyne H.S., and the Sports Medicine Section of Los Colinas Hospital.

Athletic Trainer

Susan Smiley

Susan Smiley is a Graduate of Ennis High School and Tarleton State University. At Tarleton she received a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Exercise and Sports Science. She worked for 14 years as the athletic trainer at Plano East Senior High School and has been at Lovejoy High school for 3 years. Coach Smiley is a practicing Athletic Trainer who is licensed by the State of Texas.

Team Trainer

Brooke Duke

This is Brooke Duke's second year as a Volunteer Athletic Trainer. Brooke is currently a Junior at Lovejoy High School.

Team Manager

Mackie Bardwell

This is Mackie Bardwell's first year as Team Manager.