Trine University

Trine University Athletic Director Matt Land announced the hiring of William Dowdy as head coach of the Thunder men’s volleyball team in May of 2021.

The 2025 campaign saw Dowdy lead the Thunder to a fourth consecutive MCVL Tournament appearance and a 15-9 record. Dowdy showed his leadership after a disappointing 0-4 start to the season, he rallied his team to wins in 12 of their next 13 matches. Kevin Boncaro became the first player in program history to surpass 1,000 kills and earned his second consecutive first team All-MCVL bid.

Dowdy's third season at the helm of the Thunder men's volleyball team was the best since the program's revival in 2019. The Thunder piled up a 19-7 record and claimed the MCVL Tournament Championship and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Trine pushed #5 Loras to five sets in the opening round. Hunter Haas was named MCVL Defensive Player of the Year for the fourth consecutive year and added Academic All-America status. On the offensive side, Ted Hofmeister was named MCVL Offensive Player of the Year. The duo were joined by Kevin Boncaro on the MCVL first team.

The Thunder were 14-13 in his second season with consecutive appearances in the MCVL Championship Semifinals. Hunter Haas was named Defensive Player of the Year once again while Kevin Boncaro (First Team) and Ted Hofmeister (Second Team) were also All-MCVL student-athletes.

In his first season at the helm of the program, Dowdy led the Thunder to the MCVL Tournament Championship Semifinals. Trine had an overall record of 12-14. Ted Hofmeister and Hunter Haas were each named All-MCVL and Haas won his second straight Defensive Player of the Year award in the league. 

“Dowdy will make a fantastic addition to Trine University athletics,” said Land, “His award-winning work as an assistant and his pedigree with NCAA Division III athletics make him a great fit for our young program. The future looks bright for Thunder men’s volleyball.”

Dowdy arrives at Trine having served as a successful assistant coach at Indiana Tech where he oversaw the defense while also serving as recruiting and video coordinator. This past season, he helped the Warriors reach a 17-6 overall record and a 10-2 mark in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference play earning them a share of the regular-season title and an at-large bid to the NAIA National Championships.

Dowdy was named 2021 National Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) for his work with the successful Indiana Tech team.

During his time in Fort Wayne, Dowdy became the co-founder of the Warrior VC, a youth volleyball club where he has since served as head coach of the 16U team.

“I am extremely excited to take the reigns of Trine’s men’s volleyball,” said Dowdy, “It is a great opportunity to work with both returning and incoming student-athletes to build on the success of the program from this past season.”

Dowdy graduated from Adrian College with a Master of Arts in Sports Administration and Leadership in 2018 following earning a Bachelors of Business Administration from Adrian in 2016. While at Adrian, Dowdy was a member of the men’s volleyball team playing his senior season during the team’s first year as an NCAA Division III team.