UMES Lands Rising Coach to Lead Men’s Volleyball Program

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men’s volleyball program has made one of its most important moves since launching the sport, hiring Imanol Davila-Morales as the program’s new head coach.

The announcement gives the Hawks a proven young coach with a reputation for quickly building winning programs, developing talent, and growing the sport. After an extensive national search, UMES believes Davila-Morales is the right person to lead the program into its next chapter following a successful inaugural season.

A Coach on the Rise

Davila-Morales arrives in Princess Anne after spending the 2026 season at Barry University, where he engineered one of the nation’s biggest turnarounds.

Taking over only the program’s second season, he led Barry to:

• 21-6 overall record
• IVA Tournament semifinal appearance
• 16 straight-set victories
• Division II national top-10 ranking
• IVA Coach of the Year honors
• Florida Region Ernest Langford Pioneer Award

Those accomplishments immediately made him one of the fastest-rising coaches in collegiate men’s volleyball.

Extensive Coaching Background

Although still early in his head coaching career, Davila-Morales brings experience from several successful collegiate programs.

Before Barry, he served as a graduate assistant at McKendree University, helping both the men’s and women’s volleyball programs.

During his tenure, McKendree’s men’s team posted a 20-8 record while earning victories over nationally respected programs including Loyola University Chicago, Ohio State University, Ball State University and Lewis University.

He also coached at:

• Oakland City University
• Warner University (his alma mater)

Internationally, the Puerto Rico native has worked with the professional club Gigantes de Carolina and coached with the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation’s U19 national program, giving him experience at nearly every competitive level.

Growing the Game

One reason UMES targeted Davila-Morales is his commitment to expanding men’s volleyball.

He founded Rally On Volley On, an organization dedicated to growing boys’ and men’s volleyball through camps, clinics and tournaments across the Mid-South and Puerto Rico. He is also a certified coach with Gold Medal Squared, a respected USA Volleyball coaching education partner.

That background should help UMES continue building recruiting pipelines while increasing the visibility of one of the NCAA’s fastest-growing sports.

UMES Believes It Found the Right Leader

Vice President for Athletics Tara A. Owens praised the hire.

“After an extensive national search, we are pleased to announce the hiring of Imanol Davila-Morales as the head men’s volleyball coach. Coach Davila-Morales has a demonstrated passion, knowledge and skillset that makes him a great leader for UMES men’s volleyball.”

Owens added that the university remains committed to investing in the rapidly growing program as it prepares for the upcoming season.

A Strong Foundation Already Exists

The timing of the hire is significant.

UMES exceeded expectations during its inaugural varsity season, reaching the Northeast Conference Tournament semifinals after finishing strong during conference play. The Hawks proved immediately they could compete, giving Davila-Morales a roster with momentum rather than one beginning from scratch.

Now the challenge becomes sustaining that success while raising the program’s ceiling.

Recruiting Could Reach Another Level

Davila-Morales’ greatest strength may be recruiting.

His connections stretch across:

• Puerto Rico
• Florida
• The Midwest
• Club volleyball
• International volleyball

Those relationships should help UMES attract talent from areas that have become increasingly important in collegiate men’s volleyball.

As the sport continues expanding nationwide, programs capable of recruiting internationally and identifying overlooked talent often separate themselves from conference rivals.

Maryland Sports Blog Analysis

This appears to be an excellent hire for UMES.

Rather than selecting a veteran nearing retirement, the Hawks invested in a coach whose career trajectory is pointing sharply upward. Davila-Morales has already demonstrated he can build culture, develop players and win quickly despite working with young programs.

His success at Barry is particularly encouraging because he understands the unique challenges of building a relatively new program—exactly the situation he now inherits at UMES.

If recruiting continues to improve and player development follows the same pattern seen at Barry, the Hawks could become a consistent Northeast Conference contender within the next several seasons.

For a university committed to expanding opportunities in emerging sports, this hire represents another important step in establishing men’s volleyball as a long-term success on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.