Drew Schaeffer
Drew Schaeffer

Bio

Drew Schaeffer enters his third season as head coach of the Mitchell College women's volleyball program in 2020-21. 

Mitchell volleyball has grown by leaps and bounds during Schaeffer's short tenure. Last season the program notched a school record for wins and finished 14-12 overall, posting a winning record for the first time in the school's NCAA Division III era. The Mariners also went 4-3 in New England Collegiate Conference play, earning the fourth seed and a first-ever home game for the NECC Championship. Mitchell then defeated fifth-seeded Becker to record its first postseason win before nearly pulling off an upset against top-seeded Eastern Nazarene College in the semifinals. 

Schaeffer's first recruiting class played a prominent role in the team's success. He stacked his roster with talent from all over the country, bringing in 13 newcomers to bolster the program. The influx of players produced competitive practices that translated into better performance on the court. Seven of the nine players who saw the most playing time were new, and rookie Olivia DeLoach was recognized with all-conference honors.  

Schaeffer, who was hired in March 2018, made his collegiate head coaching debut with the Mariners later that fall. Under his guidance, Mitchell won a pair of conference games and qualified for the New England Collegiate Conference Championship as the eighth seed.

Schaeffer served as an assistant coach at Southern Connecticut State University for two seasons before joining the Mariners. Southern Connecticut State made tremendous strides in Schaeffer’s two years with the program. The Owls capped a historic 2017 season by advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in its first-ever appearance, finishing with an overall record of 24-11. While at SCSU he coached the NE-10 player of the year and multiple all-conference selections, including an AVCA All-American honorable mention.  

Prior to joining the SCSU staff, Schaeffer spent six years as a coach at both the scholastic and club levels. He was the head volleyball coach at Oak Hall School in 2014 where he led the team to its first playoff appearance since 2010 and finished the season second in its district.

Prior to Oak Hall, he served as head varsity volleyball coach at West Port High School in Ocala, Fla., and helped lead the Wolf Pack to back-to-back district titles in Class 8A and District I. Schaeffer also help set a school record of 21 wins in 2012.

 A native of Ocala, Schaeffer possesses a bachelor’s degree in zoology/pre-veterinarian medicine from the University of Florida and a teaching certification in high school biology and chemistry.

 

 

 

Meet The Coach
Tim Gaiser

Tim Gaiser will enter his first season as the head coach of the Mitchell College women’s volleyball team in the fall of 2023.

Gaiser returns to New London, where he served as the head coach of the Mitchell College women’s volleyball team from 2013-2014. Most recently he served as faculty member, instructor, and volleyball head coach at the United States Merchant Marine Academy from 2016-2021.

"We are thrilled to welcome Tim back to our athletic department and the Mitchell College community," said Director of Athletics, Matt Finlayson. "He has such an extensive coaching resume with a proven track record of success accompanied with a passion for providing a first class student-athlete experience. We are excited to have Tim lead and grow our volleyball program as we enter the GNAC next year.” 

During his tenure in Kings Point, N.Y., Gaiser led the volleyball program to a conference record of 48-5 (.906), and overall record of 96-35 (.733) in five seasons and six years as head coach. In his six seasons with the Mariners, his team won the Skyline Conference two times (2017, 2021) and received a berth in both times to the NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball Tournaments. As a result of his success, Gaiser was named Coach of the Year for women’s volleyball in the Skyline Conference in 2018.

Gaiser has recruited and coached ten First Team and six Second Team All-Conference players, two Skyline Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Players, two Conference Rookies of the Year, two ECAC Rookies of the Year, two AVCA Region Rookies of the Year, an AVCA All-Region 1st Team Selection, and an AVCA All-American Selection.

Prior to arriving at the United States Merchant Mariner Academy, Gaiser served as an assistant women’s volleyball coach at Southern Connecticut State University from 2014-2016. Other coaching stops throughout his 20+ year career include Lyman Hall High School, Purchase College, Western Connecticut State University, Masuk High School, the University of Wisconsin- Parkside, Quinnipiac College, and Guilford High School.

Gaiser also has extensive experience as a volleyball official, serving as a member of the Professional Association of Volleyball Officials for a 23-year period in which he officiated games at the Division I, II, and III level

“I am honored to be the next head volleyball coach at Mitchell College,” said Gaiser. “I want to thank Athletics Director Matt Finlayson and the search committee for this opportunity to return to Mitchell and lead the volleyball program. I am looking forward to bringing a renewed level of excitement and competitiveness that the College will be proud of!”

A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Gaiser has earned both Associate and Bachelor's degrees from Charter Oak State College in New Britain, Conn., and completed his Master's degree in Sport Management from Southern New Hampshire University in 2013.

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