Ernest Vasquez Head Coach / Third Season
The Vasquez File Collegiate Experience ULM Head Coach (2010-Present) Third Season / 10-41 Kent State Assistant Coach (2008-09) Virginia Commonwealth Assistant Coach (2007) Director of Operations (2006) Arizona Western Assistant Coach (2005) Phoenix College Assistant Coach (1999-04) Ernest Vasquez enters his third season at the helm of the ULM volleyball program as he continues to guide a young team. Despite the Warhawks’ struggles in his first season, Vasquez has already had a huge impact on the program with his knowledge of the game and skilled recruiting. In just his second season leading the ULM program, he helped the Warhawks record the most victories (10) since 2005 and first conference victory since 2006. ULM started the season 3-0 and had a winning record until Oct. 16. The Warhawks were 6-6 at home and 5-4 in five-set matches. Vasquez also helped ULM receive its first ever Sun Belt weekly honor as Marcela Araya was named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 3, 2011. Araya followed with a Co-Defensive Player of the Week honor on Oct. 10. Also on Oct. 10, Zuzana Markova was named an honorable mention for the AVSR Global Player of the Week. Markova picked up second team All-Louisiana honors following a season where she led the team in kills and assists. In just his first season as head coach, Vasquez turned around the team’s performance in the classroom, raising the cumulative GPA from 2.5 in 2009 to 3.5 in 2011. The volleyball team was also one of just two ULM programs to have 100 percent of its players receive academic honors from the Sun Belt Conference, including nine of 12 members being named to the Commissioner’s List, which requires a minimum 3.5 GPA. Vasquez took over the program after two seasons as an assistant coach at Kent State. Under his guidance, three Kent State players earned All-Mid American Conference honors, while five players earned academic all-conference distinction. Prior to joining the KSU staff, he spent two seasons at Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2006, he served as the director of operations and handled various administrative duties, including travel arrangements, budgeting and scheduling. The Rams promoted Vasquez to an assistant coach prior to the 2007 season. He joined the VCU staff after spending the 2005 season as an assistant coach at Arizona Western College. The Matadors were one of the top teams in the country during his one-year stint as they reached as high as third in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national rankings. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach for five seasons at Phoenix College (1999-2004). Vasquez led the Bears to a third-place finish at the 1999 Junior College Division II National Tournament and coached 12 all-region players. Vasquez earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Arizona State in 2003 and received an associate’s degree in massage therapy from Arizona Western in 2006.
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