After nine remarkable years at the helm of her alma mater, Covenant head volleyball coach Joanna Ehman has announced she will step down from her coaching position and as assistant director of athletics, effective Dec. 30, 2021.
Ehman's decision to step aside allows her to spend more time with her family.
"It is impossible to measure the impact that Jo has made during her decade coaching on campus," said Covenant director of athletics Dr. Tim Sceggel. "From NCAA Tournament appearances, discipling her athletes, and her work as SWA, Jo has achieved excellence in every facet of her role.
On a personal level, I will miss getting to work alongside a good friend and incredible coworker.
Overall, her departure is a significant loss to our department as well, but we are excited to see the way that God is leading her into the future."
In nine years as the head coach of the Scots, Ehman amassed an impressive résumé and etched her name in the program's record book.
Ehman is the winningest coach in program history, both in total wins and winning percentage. Her teams went a combined 168-104 (.618) in nine seasons with a 100-26 (.794) record in USA South matches.
Her teams captured four USA South regular season titles, two USA South Tournament championships, and the program's first two appearances in the NCAA Tournament (2015, 2017). Ehman's 2017 team became the first program at Covenant to win an NCAA Tournament contest.
Ehman led her squads to four 20-win seasons and she was named the USA South Coach of the Year in 2015 after guiding the Scots to the program's first conference title in the USA South. Her 2014 team set a program record for victories (27), while her 2017 team tied the program mark for winning percentage (.758).
It was the 2017 team that set the bar for not only Covenant volleyball, but Scots athletics overall. Ehman's team finished 25-8, captured USA South regular season and tournament titles, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three seasons. The squad won 17 straight matches before a loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, tying an all-sport record at Covenant.
During Ehman's tenure, she coached two AVCA All-Americans, 14 All-USA South honorees (10 first team selections), 17 USA South All-West selections, and four AVCA All-Region honorees.
Off the court, her teams totaled six AVCA Team Academic awards and the program had 60 USA South All-Academic selections. Covenant also had five USA South Team Sportsmanship Awards.
Before becoming the head coach of the Scots, Ehman was already quite familiar with the Covenant program.
A 2010 graduate of Covenant, Ehman was a four-year player for the Scots and played for previous head coach Heather Taylor. A two-time team captain, Ehman tallied 1,759 assists, 699 kills, and 1,213 digs in 126 career matches and she is second in program history with 191 service aces. Ehman earned All-Appalachian Athletic Conference honors twice and was NAIA All-Region in 2007 before earning NCCAA All-Region in 2009.
Following graduation, Ehman entered the coaching ranks. She spent one season as an assistant coach at Bryan, under the tutelage of Leo Sayles, before joining Taylor's staff at Covenant for two seasons. As an assistant at Covenant in 2011 and 2012, Ehman helped the team to 47 wins.
After her first two years as head coach of the Scots, Ehman added Senior Woman Administrator to her title and joined the senior leadership team of the athletics department as an assistant director of athletics.
Ehman's presence in the department helped guide Covenant athletics through discipleship, recruiting, and excellence that led to some of its best overall success in the department's history.
Additionally, Ehman served in various committee roles within the USA South and spent time on NCAA regional rankings committees.