photo by: Photo courtesy Lawrence athletics

Lawrence volleyball coach Michael Dunlap

Chances are that at any given moment, Michael Dunlap is doing something related to volleyball.

Dunlap has been coaching volleyball in Lawrence for four years after a playing career in his home of Saint Louis. He and his wife are Kansas volleyball season ticket holders, and when he isn’t at a game or coaching, Dunlap is watching the sport at home, attending coaching clinics or analyzing new schemes.

So it made sense that when the head volleyball coach position opened up at Lawrence High, Dunlap would apply for the job. After a couple of months, Dunlap’s hiring became official, and now he’s set to take over the program as its head coach.

“A year ago, I was a middle school coach,” Dunlap said. “What a difference a year makes. This is my 10th year coaching… I’ve always just had to coach wherever I could, whether that be for free, at the (YMCA) or coaching club or just doing one on one lessons. I’ve always loved coaching.”

Dunlap isn’t new to the Lawrence volleyball team. Last year, he was an assistant coach, coaching the junior varsity team.

When Dunlap first moved to Lawrence, he started coaching at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. This time last year, he was scrolling through job postings at USD 497 when he saw an assistant coach position for Lawrence High available.

“They called me the next day, I interviewed and I ended up taking that position,” Dunlap said. “It was a really great time meeting all the athletes and working with them. So I fully consider myself a Chesty Lion.”

Now, Dunlap is taking over as head coach after Deborah Newkirk stepped down after the season.

Dunlap heard from his Lawrence players when Newkirk stepped down that he was someone they’d want to lead the program. Hearing that feedback meant the world to Dunlap, giving him confidence in his new role.

“It was really the most meaningful thing from the kids, honestly,” Dunlap said. “That’s what we do this for. And so hearing from my athletes that they want that continues to mean the world.”

Taking over the job will be a new step for Dunlap, but it helps having spent the last season with the Lions. He knows their strengths and weaknesses as well as what the competition around the Sunflower League looks like.

One thing he knows Lawrence needs to do is be able to pass the ball. Across all levels of volleyball, teams that can control the ball control the game, and the Lions will need to continue improving their passing.

“The teams that keep the ball off the floor — they may not hit the hardest, they may not run the fastest offense, but they just keep the ball at the floor, and they’re always the hardest things to play,” Dunlap said. “But we cannot be successful if we can’t pass. It’s just the reality.”

Dunlap watches a lot of college and professional volleyball to pick up different schemes and designs to implement with his teams. Currently, Dunlap is watching a lot of the Indy Ignite in Major League Volleyball with how they run their offense. The speed in which they play is something that Dunlap hopes to emulate in Lawrence.

There’s another team much closer to home that Dunlap is closely watching. As a season ticket holder, Dunlap is often around Kansas volleyball and coach Matt Ulmer. The two have spoken a few times since Ulmer came to Lawrence from Oregon, and Dunlap plans to speak more with Ulmer in preparation for his first season as head coach of Lawrence.

“We watched Oregon play one time, and we just loved the way they played, so we kind of followed him,” Dunlap said. “I would love to take the Lawrence athletes to a KU game. They have a couple of spring matches coming up, and typically, those are free, so I would love to get our girls in the gym to see some high-level volleyball.”

The volleyball season is still several months away, but Dunlap and the Lawrence team are going to be hitting the summer hard in preparation for the season. It’s an exciting time for Dunlap to continue his coaching career and lead a program.

“I feel like I’m ready. I feel like I’ve been preparing for this for the last 10 years,” Dunlap said. “I think it’s going to be great for them to have some stability.”