Texas Tech Athletics Director Kirby Hocutt has selected Tony Graystone as head coach of the Red Raider volleyball program on Thursday. Graystone arrives at Texas Tech after serving seven seasons as the head volleyball coach at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
“Tony Graystone is a proven winner and a respectful leader and coach with tremendous ties to the state of Texas, specifically in West Texas,” Hocutt said. “We are so thrilled to welcome him, along with Lauren, Drew and Dylan to the Texas Tech Athletics family.”
In seven seasons at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Graystone turned the Islanders into one of the premier volleyball programs in the Southland Conference. Last season, the Islanders put together their best season in program history, finishing 31-5 overall, with a spotless 16-0 conference mark. It was also the first NCAA Tournament berth for the Islanders, who faced Texas A&M in first round play. Their win total was the best in school history and was one win short of the winningest season by any Southland program.
Graystone’s squads have recorded 20 or more wins in three of the last four seasons, finishing one victory shy of that mark in 2014. He improved his team’s win total in each of his first four seasons on the Island, culminating with the 2013 season, which was a historic season for the Islanders. The team finished with a 20-12 record, including a then school-best 13-5 record in Southland Conference play. The Islanders also made history by advancing to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time.
“This is a very special day for me and my family,” Graystone said. “Lubbock is definitely home for us and there’s no place we’d rather be than at Texas Tech. I am looking forward to meeting the team and getting started on the court as soon as possible. We all know the challenges ahead of us to improve the program and take positive steps in the Big 12. But I know I’m starting with a group of talented, committed players and together we will make it happen.”
In the last four years, Graystone has collected a 91-44 record, including a 52-16 record in Southland play. In 2015, the Islanders made their fourth consecutive appearance and fifth overall trip to the Southland Tournament. For the second-straight year, the Islanders advanced to the semifinals while finishing with a 19-16 record, including an 11-5 record in conference play.
The squad set a school record in 2012 with a 21-11 mark. The Islanders won 12 Southland matches and finished third in the conference, both first-time accomplishments for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Since Graystone took over the program, the Islanders have improved their national RPI by 235 spots, making them the most improved NCAA Division I team in the country over that time.
Prior to coming to the Island, Graystone spent 10 seasons as the head coach at West Texas A&M in Canyon, where he posted a 315-61 record and became the all-time winningest coach in program history. His .837 winning percentage was the third-highest among active NCAA Division II head coaches and he reached 300 victories faster than any other coach in the division’s history. He reached 100 wins in 106 matches making him the quickest coach at the time in any NCAA sport or division to reach the century mark in wins. He was named the Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year five times and the AVCA Southwest Region Coach of the Year on four occasions.
At West Texas A&M, he guided the Lady Buffs to five NCAA Regional appearances and eight Lone Star Conference crowns in 10 seasons. He mentored 16 All-Americans and one Division II National Player of the Year in 1999. His 2001 team was ranked No. 1 for seven weeks, while his 2002 team held the top spot for five weeks. In 2003, his team set an NCAA standard with 77 conference wins in a row.
Before becoming the head coach, Graystone was an assistant coach for the Lady Buffs and was part of a coaching staff that won the NCAA Division II Championship in 1997. He also served as the program director for the Amarillo Junior Olympic Volleyball Club. He began his career as a head coach at Waggoner and Ballard High Schools in Louisville, Kentucky.
Graystone earned an M.S. in exercise physiology from the University of Louisville in 1996 after graduating with a B.S. in Health Sciences with an emphasis in exercise science from Grand Valley State (Mich.) in 1992.
He and his wife Lauren, a native of Whitharral, Texas, have two sons, Drew and Dylan.
(Press Release Provided by Texas Tech Athletics Department)