Indiana State University Athletics

Justin Kean enters his third season as an assistant volleyball coach at Indiana State after joining the program in June 2022.

"I am so excited to welcome Justin to our Indiana State Volleyball family," head coach Ashlee 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."

Working primarily with the Sycamores' offense, Kean's second season saw Indiana State's attacking numbers improve across the board. Kira Holland ranked in the top 10 nationally among freshmen with 3.59 kills per set on her way to MVC Freshman of the Year honors, while Karinna Gall, Ella Scott and Kaitlyn Hamilton all tallied more than 150 kills. Seven different Sycamores recorded 10 or more service aces for the season, while Avery Hales and Hannah Baudin both averaged more than six assists per set. Kean's work on the offensive side came with the youngest roster in the MVC, as Indiana State featured four freshmen in its starting lineup.

In his first season on the sidelines in Terre Haute, Kean oversaw an offense that was among the MVC and national leaders in attacks at 37.52 attempts per set. Opponents struggled to block Indiana State's attempts as well, with the Sycamores' 1.85 opponent blocks per set being the best mark in the MVC. Kaitlyn Hamilton and Mallory Keller both ranked among the MVC leaders in kills per set, while Jamie Bown posted career-best numbers in both kills and blocks. Five different players, all sophomores or juniors, tallied more than 100 kills in 2022.

Kean joined the Sycamores after spending 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.