Dick McLain became an Assistant Volleyball Coach at Corban University in November of 2014. With 16 years of volleyball coaching experience and over 22 years of coaching to his name, McLain serves as a key piece to the Warriors’ success both on and off the court.
2022: In his eighth season assisting for the Corban Volleyball program, McLain helped coach the Warriors to their highest ever NAIA National Tournament finish, falling just two points shy of a National Title to take home the 2022 NAIA National Runner-Up Trophy in their seventh-straight National Tournament appearance. The team finished with a 33-5 overall record, totaling the most wins in a single season by any Corban Volleyball squad in program history. They also achieved the highest NAIA Coaches’ Poll ranking in program history, coming in at No. 3 overall on November 12th, 2022.
The team finished 5th overall in the entire NAIA in offensive production, accumulating 1,870 to lead the CCC. Efficiency was key for the Warriors, as they averaged 14.06 kills per set to finish 3rd in the nation and swung at a .243 attacking percentage to rank 6th at the national level. McLain was voted the AVCA Northwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year for his work in boasting one of the best offenses in the nation.
Their historic NAIA National Tournament run was highlighted by three-straight sweeps against RV Bethel University, No. 11 Taylor University, and No. 13 Park University to advance to the National Semifinal round, where they defeated fellow CCC school and No. 1 ranked Eastern Oregon University in four sets to advance to their first ever National Championship match.
2021: The seventh year was the year of breaking boundaries for the Corban Volleyball program, as the Warriors finished the season 30-3 overall for the highest winning percentage in school history (.909), advancing to their sixth consecutive NAIA National Tournament before bowing out in the Opening Pool Play round.
The Warriors steamrolled their way to the first CCC Regular Season Championship since the 2017 season, setting the single-season conference mark for best conference record (20-2). They repeated as conference champions on November 13th, 2021, when they defeated Eastern Oregon University in the 2021 CCC Tournament Championship match on their home court.
The team’s highest NAIA ranking that season was a new program record, as they were announced as the No. 5 team in the nation back on October 13th, 2021. The final program record to fall in 2021 was for most consecutive wins, as the Warriors began the season 19-0 to set the streak at 19-straight wins.
2020-21: Despite all odds, the Corban Volleyball program overcame a COVID-19 riddled season of cancellations, rescheduling, playing in an entirely different season to finish 14-5 overall and 10-4 in conference play, finishing second overall in the CCC and taking home the Spring 2021 CCC Tournament Championship on Eastern Oregon’s home court after the Mountaineers posted a perfect 14-0 conference slate.
Regardless of a shortened season and numerous challenges, the Warriors advanced to their fifth-straight NAIA National Tournament, where they fell in the Opening Pool Play round to the No. 1 Northwestern College Red Raiders. This marked the second time that McLain and the squad have had to face the No. 1 team in the nation early in the NAIA National Tournament Final Site.
2019: Under his guidance, the nationally recognized Warrior squad made its fourth-straight trip to the NAIA National Tournament in 2019, advancing to the NAIA Final-16 for the second-consecutive season.
2018: In 2018, despite possessing a team with just four returners from the year prior, Corban volleyball earned yet another trip to the NAIA National Championships for the third-straight season. The Navy and Gold finished with a 23-13 record, concluding the squad's season in the NAIA Final 16.
2017: During the remarkable 2017 season, Corban achieved a 27-9 overall record and earned the CCC regular-season Championship and the CCC tournament title. Following winning those trophies, the Warriors advanced to the NAIA Volleyball Championship Quarterfinals, marking one round further than the Warriors had gone in 2016 and the furthest the team had advanced in program history.
2016: In the record-setting 2016 campaign, McLain assisted in guiding the Warriors to a 25-8 overall record, a win in the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round, two wins in 'pool play' at the NAIA Final Site, and a trip to the NAIA Volleyball Round of 16. During the 2016 season, the Warriors finished with a 17-3 record in Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) play and Corban garnered two NAIA All-Americans and three First-Team All-CCC athletes to go along with the CCC Libero of the Year.
2015: In his first year at Corban in 2015, he helped his wife lead the Warriors to the best season the program had registered since 2004 with a 14-13 overall record and a fifth-place finish in the CCC. Under his guidance, the Warriors qualified for the CCC Tournament and saw three players garner All-Conference honors, with one collecting All-America honors and the other two earning CCC Libero of the Year and Freshman of the Year plaudits.
Personal: Prior to Corban, McLain served as an assistant to the head coach and his wife, Kim, on the Santiam Christian varsity volleyball team from 2001-2014. During that time, McLain helped lead Santiam Christian to a 179-12 overall record and 13 conference championships in the last 13 years. In addition, Santiam Christian won six state championships and finished in the top-five in state on 12 occasions. Most recently, the McLain coaching duo led the 2014 Santiam high school squad to a 28-2 record and its third-straight OSAA State Championship and fifth in the last six years.
Prior to coaching at Santiam Christian, McLain was an assistant coach for the Varsity Boys Basketball team at Santiam Christian for seven years.
McLain originally hailed from Santiam Christian High School and graduated in 1983, then received an Associate Science degree from Linn Benton Community College in 1986. In his free time, he enjoys bowhunting and fishing. He is married to the Corban Head Volleyball Coach, Kim McLain, and they have two children: Madison (19), and Mason (16). They currently reside in Albany, Ore. On top of her coaching duties, McLain has worked with the Oregon Coaches Association for the past 10 years as the 3A President, Representative, and Secretary. Moreover, she worked with the OSAA on the ranking committee.
