Steve Aird Position: Dir. Volleyball Operations

Phone: 814-863-7474 • Email: saa148@psu.edu

Former Nittany Lion men's volleyball player Steve Aird joins the Penn State women's volleyball program as the Director of Volleyball Operations after spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati.

"I feel great about Steve's return to Penn State because he has demonstrated that he is a loyal Penn Stater. He made a decision to move out of the coaching side of the game at this time to help us with our program. He has a great feel for the game and he is going to make significant contributions to the success of the program from his new position."

While at Cincinnati, Aird had a hand in all areas of the program, including serving as the Bearcats' recruiting coordinator. He was also involved with the Bearcat camps, as well as scouting and player development. While at Cincinnati, the Bearcats achieved their 11th and 12th consecutive 20-win seasons.

Aird also made an impact on the Cincinnati club scene, serving as head coach of the Team Z 17's (2005) and 18's (2006), which annually ranks as one of the nation's top club teams. In 2005, Aird guided his squad to a third-place finish nationally, while leading the teams to a spot in Open Nationals both seasons.

During his career, Aird has spoken at various camps and clinics around the country. He was also the featured speaker at a clinic in Lithuania in Feb. 2006.

Prior to working at Cincinnati, Aird spent three seasons at Auburn as a member of Laura Farina's staff. At Auburn, Aird had responsibilities in all areas of the program, including budget, travel, training, recruiting and camps. During his tenure, the Tigers jumped from the 286th-ranked program nationally to as high as 77th in 2004.

In 2001, Aird served as an assistant coach at Davidson College and during the 2000 season he served as a graduate assistant coach with the Penn State women's volleyball program.

A native of London, Ontario, Canada, Aird graduated from Penn State with a BA in sports management. He was a two-time captain of the Nittany Lion men's volleyball program, helping the squad to three appearances in the National Collegiate Championship semifinals. He also played within the Team Canada Volleyball Pipeline, competing internationally on several occasions.