The men's volleyball team at St. Thomas University will have a new head coach beginning in the 2017-2018 season.

Henri Mallet, of Fredericton, NB, will take over as bench boss of the Tommies squad from Francis Duguay, who stepped down after leading the program to four Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association titles in six years.

Mallet brings 14 years of coaching experience to the Green and Gold, and is looking forward to his debut season at St. Thomas.

"I wanted to coach at STU because I think I can provide a great teaching environment for local and recruited athletes," he said. "The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association is a great league and I'm looking forward to competing with the best college teams in the country."

St. Thomas Athletic Director Michael Eagles is pleased to have a seasoned coach like Mallet join the Tommies program.

"We're excited to have Henri on board. He is a committed to advancing the sport and has great experience at the university level," he said. "We feel he can build on the past success that Francis was able to achieve, not only on the court but in the classroom and community as well."

Mallet has spent the last four seasons as assistant coach with the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds' men's team—this year's Atlantic University Sport champion—and prior to that was on the sidelines with the University of Ottawa women's team. He's also coached at the middle school, high school, and club volleyball level, as well as the Team NB provincial programs.

"Having had the chance to work with great programs in the past, I feel confident that I will be able to bring a new tactical approach to the STU program," he said.  "I think my understanding of the game, along with my knowledge of the volleyball situation in New Brunswick is one of my biggest strengths."

Mallet's philosophy as a coach stems from an emphasis on communication, growth, and developing skills around the athletes.

"Being a student athlete is tough, so as a coach you have to provide your athletes with the tools to succeed on and off the court. Those tools need to come from the students first and then as a coach you guide them along the way, making good communication a key to success," he said.

"You also need to be ready for your athletes to fail at first, and then grow and learn to become better players, creating a better team."

Mallet hopes to build off the program's foundation of success in past years, but his main goal spans further than the ACAA.

"I hope to help each player reach their full potential as an athlete and as a student. As a team, the main goal will be to bring a National Championship to St. Thomas."