University of Minnesota Athletics
McCutcheon Adds Houk to Coaching Staff
3/14/2014 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
March 14, 2014
University of Minnesota volleyball head coach Hugh McCutcheon has announced the hiring of Matt Houk as an assistant coach. Houk comes to Minnesota after a six-tenure as the head coach at the University of South Dakota. He replaces Erich Hinterstocker, who became the associate head coach at Marquette. Houk will begin his position immediately.
"We're happy to have Matt Houk join the Golden Gopher volleyball coaching staff," McCutcheon said. "Matt comes to Minnesota with extensive and successful head coaching experience at the Division I level, and he hails from the Midwest. We're excited that he has joined our program and look forward to working with him. He's a great addition to our program. "
Houk completed his sixth season as the Coyotes' head coach in 2013. Last year, USD posted a 9-5 Summit League finish, good for third in the conference standings and held a 19-13 record overall. In his six-year stint at South Dakota, Houk held a 97-85 record and accumulated a .533 win percentage, the best win percentage in school history. His 97 wins ranks second in South Dakota all-time career wins. In his final year at USD, Houk recruited and coached 2013 Summit League Player of the Year, Kendall Kritenbrink, as she was also named an American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America honorable mention. Under Houk's guidance, USD placed three on the 2013 All-Summit League Volleyball Team. He also helped the Coyotes change from the Great West Conference to the Summit League in 2011 and a sixth-place finish in the standings their inaugural year. In his first year with the Coyotes, Houk propelled the 2009 edition to a 23-4 mark, which tied a school record for wins in a season.
Prior to his time at South Dakota, Houk was an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay from 2004-06. During his three seasons with the Phoenix, five players were named to the All-Horizon League team and six student-athletes earned academic all-league honors. He began his Division I coaching career at Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 2002-03 where the Panthers combined for a 45-19 record with 20-win seasons both years.
"I'd like to thank Hugh and Laura Bush for giving me this opportunity," Houk said. "Once I visited campus and this program, it seemed like such good fit and a great opportunity for myself and my family. I want to extend a thanks to all of the people I met while I was here and made me feel at home. It made the very difficult decision to leave South Dakota much easier. I'm excited to get going and become a part of the Minnesota volleyball family. I'm excited for the future."
A native of Waukesha, Wis., Houk graduated in 2002 from Milwaukee where he earned an English degree. He and his wife, Angie, have three children; Jaeden, Cole and Jorie.
