Coaching Staff

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.