Danny Mahy spent 14 seasons as an assistant coach with the FGCU women’s volleyball program, culminating in the 2019 season, before transitioning to another role within the department.
Over his final six seasons, Mahy played an instrumental role in a program that compiled a 143-50 record, including a 71-17 record in ASUN play. In fact, the Eagles won at least 10 matches in conference play in each of the past six seasons, which is the best stretch in program history, and included a pair of ASUN regular season titles in 2018 and 2019.
BANNER YEAR
In 2018, Mahy was an integral part of a staff that led the Green and Blue to heights it hasn’t seen before, as the Eagles went 27-7 overall and claimed the program’s first ASUN regular season championship since 2012 behind a 15-1 conference slate.
In the postseason, he helped guide the squad to a thrilling five-set win over Kennesaw State on the road to claim the program’s first-ever ASUN tournament championship. In a first-round matchup against No. 13 UCF on the road, FGCU captured its first NCAA Tournament victory and first win over a ranked opponent in the Division-I era. Along the way, Mahy helped lead the Eagles achieve a Division-I era record 16-match winning streak and tie the era’s single-season wins record with 27.
AN ACCOMPLISHED TENURE
During Mahy’s time at FGCU, the women’s volleyball program produced four ASUN regular season championships (2019, 2018, 2012, 2008), one ASUN tournament championship (2018) and four ASUN tournament runner-up finishes (2019, 2017, 2016, 2009). The Eagles finished among the top three in the league standings in six consecutive seasons to close his tenure.
Individually, Mahy helped produce 36 All-ASUN selections, including 17 on the first-team, as well as 15 ASUN All-Freshmen team honorees. Eleven student-athletes were awarded ASUN All-Academic team awards, and his tenure saw four ASUN player of the year recipients (Cortney VanLiew – 2019 and 2018, Amanda Carroll – 2017 and Ana Kokanovic – 2009), two ASUN setter of the year recipients (Maggie Rick – 2016, Gigi Meyer – 2014), five ASUN freshman of the year recipients (Erin Shomaker - 2019, Dana Axner – 2018, Snowy Burnam – 2017, Amanda Carroll – 2015 and Jill Hopper – 2011), two ASUN defensive players of the year (Dana Axner – 2019 and 2018) and two ASUN scholar athletes of the year (Maggie Rick – 2018 and Amanda Carroll – 2017).
The Miami, Fla. native spent all but two seasons (2006, 2007) of the program’s history on the sideline. In 2004, he helped start the program at the NCAA Division-II level, and the Eagles made a regional semifinal and a regional final appearance, respectively, in his first two seasons.
Following that, Mahy transitioned to a role on the staff at Barry University, where he served under the direction of head coach Dave Nichols. In 2008, Nichols began a six-year stint as head coach at FGCU, and he brought Mahy along to begin his second tenure as an assistant coach and help the program grow into full NCAA Division-I status.
PRIOR TO FGCU
Mahy, who was twice named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Thirty Under 30 list, earlier served as an assistant coach at Miami Dade College, where he helped lead the program to an NJCAA national championship in 2002 and a national runner-up finish in 2003.
While previously serving as an assistant coach with the USA South Volleyball Club from 2003-05, Mahy currently serves as the head coach for USA South Volleyball. Under his direction, USA South has consistently achieved a top-20 national ranking. In 2018, his USA South 13 Premier Purple team finished third in the nation at the USAV Nationals in Detroit and the premiere division of AAU Nationals. They are the only team in the history of Southwest Florida to finish third in two national tournaments at the youth level.
A 2001 Miami Sunset High School graduate, Mahy was named his team’s MVP twice. He led his team to the Miami-Dade county championship as a senior.
PERSONAL
Mahy and his wife, Ashley, reside in Fort Myers. They have a son, Greyson, and a daughter, Emilia.
UPDATED: 6/1/2020
