TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State head volleyball coach Ashlee Pritchard announced the addition of Justin Kean to her coaching staff Thursday afternoon. 
 
"I am so excited to welcome Justin to our Indiana State Volleyball family," Pritchard said. "Having worked with Justin at Marian University for seven years, I have been able to see first-hand not only his knowledge and passion for the game but his desire to see the student-athletes succeed off the court. Justin is a great coach and will be able to help our team especially on offensive side of the game. He is the perfect addition to our team and I am excited to be able to work with him again."
 
Kean joins the Sycamores after spending the last three seasons as an assistant coach at IU East, where he was the offensive coordinator and coached the setters. The Red Wolves compiled a 51-33 overall record with a 33-11 record in River States Conference play during his tenure, winning a pair of division titles and advancing to the 2020-21 NAIA Tournament.
 
Under Kean's tutelage, IU East produced the River States Conference Setter of the Year each of the last two seasons. The Red Wolves also had three NAIA Honorable Mention All-Americans, three NAIA All-Region selections, 11 All-River States Conference honorees and the 2020-21 River States Conference Newcomer of the Year in his three seasons on the sidelines. Kean was also named the 2019 River States Conference Assistant Coach of the Year following an 18-win season in his first year with IU East.
 
"My family and I are grateful for the opportunity to join the Indiana State community," Kean said. "I am thankful to Coach Pritchard for this amazing opportunity. I can't wait to get to work with our squad."
 
Prior to his time at IU East, Kean spent eight seasons as an assistant coach at Marian, with seven of those seasons coming during Pritchard's tenure as head coach. The Knights won 149 games during Kean's time on the sidelines in Indianapolis, compiling 85 of those wins during Crossroads League play. Kean's tenure at Marian culminated with trips to the NAIA Tournament in 2017 and 2018 after winning the Crossroad League regular season title in both seasons. The Knights also won the Crossroads League Tournament in 2018, the first in program history.
 
Kean played an important role on Pritchard's staff at Marian, coaching the setters and serving as the offensive coordinator during the Knights' rise to the top of the Crossroads League. The Knights went 80-27 across Kean's last three seasons on the bench, including a 41-13 mark in conference play and a 33-4 mark at home. The 2018 season saw Marian win 30 games for the first time in program history. During that stretch, Marian's attack consistently hit at least 50 percentage points better than its opponents, while the Knights' setters averaged at least 11.9 assists per set every season. Kean's work did not go unnoticed by his peers, as he was named the AVCA NAIA Mid-Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2018.
 
Marian's success during Kean's tenure was recognized on the conference, regional and national stage. The Knights had one NAIA Third Team All-American, four NAIA Honorable Mention All-American's, eight NAIA All-Region selections, 25 All-Crossroads League honorees, the 2017 Crossroads League Player of the Year, the 2017 Crossroads League Libero of the Year and the 2016 Crossroads League Freshman of the Year during Kean's eight seasons.
 
Kean is a 2011 graduate of IUPUI, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in physical education with an emphasis in sports management.
 
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