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culhane

Terry Culhane

   
  culhanet@southwestmsu.edu 507-537-7125

     A native of Marshall and a graduate of Southwest Minnesota State University, Terry Culhane is happy to be home and the SMSU volleyball program is happy he returned.  Since becoming the head coach in January of 2004, Southwest Minnesota State volleyball has reached a new level of success. 
     In his three years on the bench, Culhane has a 75-27 record at SMSU.  Under Culhane’s helm the Mustangs have made three NCAA tournament appearances, including winning their first ever NCAA tournament match, placed second twice and third once in the Northern Sun Conference standings, played in two NSIC tournament championship matches, appeared in the NCAA II national poll for the first time in school history and coached SMSU’s first ever NCAA II All-America player.  
     After enjoying unparallel success coaching high school volleyball for 22 seasons, recording over 500 wins, 15 state tournament appearances and winning six state championships, Culhane returned to his alma mater on Jan. 22, 2004, as he was named the fourth head coach in the program’s history. 
     A proven winner, Culhane is ready for his next challenge, keeping Southwest Minnesota State among the best not only in the Northern Sun Conference but regionally and nationally as well.
     In just three seasons as head coach, Culhane has coached SMSU’s first ever NCAA II All-America player, had three first team all-region selections, one AVCA Region Freshman of the Year, one NSIC Newcomer of the Year and six first team all-conference honorees.
     In his first season as head coach in 2004, Culhane led SMSU to a 22-10 overall record and a second place finish in the conference standings.  The squad also advanced to the conference tournament championship match and qualified for the NCAA tournament, just the second NCAA appearance in school history.
     In 2005, SMSU set a school record with a 26-8 overall record, advanced to the NCAA tournament and won the program’s first ever NCAA tournament match as they advanced to the regional semifinals.  The 26 victories was the most ever by an SMSU team since moving to NCAA Division II in 1995  and the highest by an SMSU squad since the 1991 team won 30 matches.  SMSU also appeared in the AVCA top 25 national poll for three weeks becoming the first Mustang squad to do so in school history.  For his efforts, he was named the NSIC Co-Coach of the Year.
     In 2006, SMSU set a school record with a 27-9 overall record as well as setting a school record with a 12-match winning streak.  The Mustangs finished third in NSIC standings and made their third NCAA tournament appearance.  SMSU was ranked in the NCAA II national poll eleven times throughout the season. 
     Culhane comes to SMSU after spending the four seasons as head volleyball coach at Marshall High School where he led the Tigers to a sixth place finish at the 2003 Minnesota Class AAA state tournament and a #1 ranking in the final regular season state rankings.  During his tenure at Marshall, he led the Tigers to three Minnesota Class AAA state tournament appearances including a runner-up finish in 2002.  Culhane, who led Marshall to an overall record of 95-32 in his four seasons as head coach, was named the 2002 Minnesota Class AAA Coach of the Year.
     A five-time Minnesota State Volleyball Coach of the Year honoree, Culhane finished with an impressive record of 519-112 in 22 seasons as a volleyball head coach. 
     He started his coaching career at Milroy High School in 1979 where he led the Scrappers to a sixth place finish in the state tournament in 1983 and a fifth place finish in 1984. 
     In 1986, he was named head coach at Tracy-Milroy High School and in the next 11 seasons, guided the Panthers to ten state tournament appearances including five state championship squads in 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995 and 1996.  Tracy-Milroy also finished as state runners-up in 1991 and earned third place finishes in 1986, 1988 and 1993.  He was named Minnesota Class A State Coach of the Year in 1992, 1994, 1995 and 1996.   
     An inductee into both the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and Minnesota Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, Culhane has also had tremendous success as a high school girls’ basketball coach.  Named head coach at Marshall High School in 1997, he led the Tigers to three state tournament appearances including a pair of state championships in 2001 and 2002.  He was named Minnesota Class AAA Coach of the Year in 2000, 2001 and 2002. 
    efore taking over at  Marshall, he led Tracy-Milroy High School to a pair of Minnesota Class A state championships in both 1992 and 1996.  Prior to Tracy-Milroy, he was head girls’ basketball coach at Milroy High School where his 1985 squad placed second at the state tournament while he earning Minnesota Outstate Coach of the Year accolades.
     He has also had an outstanding career as a Junior Olympic volleyball head coach, leading the Southwest Minnesota Juniors to a fifth place finish at the National Open Division Tournament in 1998 and an eighth place finish at the 1999 Club Division National Tournament.  On the basketball court, in 2003 he led the North Tartan AAU squad to the Division I National Championship while in 2002 the North Tartan team finished in third place.
      Culhane is a 1978 graduate of Southwest Minnesota State with a degree in elementary education, physical education and health.  While at SMSU, he spent time on both the Mustang baseball and basketball squads.  He earned his master’s degree from SMSU in 2000 in educational leadership.
     Terry and his wife Sandy live in Marshall with their daughters Ashley and Allison.


Culhane Success Through the Years
Volleyball
--Southwest Minnesota State University (2004-06)
•2005, NCAA Tournament regional semifinals
•2004, NCAA Tournament regional quarterfinals
•2006, NCAA Tournament regional quarterfinals

--Marshall High School (2000-2003)
•2003, placed 6th at Class AAA State Tournament
  Finished regular season ranked #1 in the state
•2002, placed 2nd at Class AAA State Tournament
•2001, placed 5th at Class AAA State Tournament
•2000, Section 2AAA Runner-up

--Tracy-Milroy High School (1986-1996)
•1996, Minnesota Class A State Champions
•1995, Minnesota Class A State Champions
•1994, Minnesota Class A State Champions
•1993, placed 3rd at Class A State Tournament
•1992, Minnesota Class A State Champions
•1991, Section 3A Runner-up
•1990, Minnesota Class A State Champions
•1989, placed 4th at Class A State Tournament
•1988, placed 3rd at Class A State Tournament
•1987, placed 5th at Class A State Tournament
•1986, placed 3rd at Class A State Tournament

--Milroy High School (1979-1985)
•1984, placed 5th at Class A State Tournament
•1983, placed 3rd at Class A State Tournament

--Southwest Minnesota Juniors (1998-99)
•1999, placed 8th at National Tournament
  (club division)
•1998, placed 5th at National Tournament
  (open division)

Basketball
-Marshall High School (1997-2004)

•2002, Minnesota Class AAA State Champions
•2001, Minnesota Class AAA State Champions
•2000, placed 3rd at AAA State Tournament

--Tracy-Milroy High School (1990-96)
•1996, Minnesota Class A State Champion
•1995, placed 3rd at Class A State Tournament
•1992, Minnesota Class A State Champion

--Milroy High School (1979-1985)
•1985, placed 2nd at Class A State Tournament

--North Tartan AAU (2002-03)
•2003, placed 1st at Division I National Tournament
•2002, placed 3rd at Division I National Tournament