BETHANY, W.Va. – After 16 seasons of leading the Bethany College women’s volleyball program, Courtney Hilyer is announcing plans to transition from her position. Hilyer will begin a new chapter in her career at Bethany College, serving as a professor for the physical education and sport studies department.
“I am truly thankful for the 16 seasons I was blessed to spend as head volleyball coach at Bethany,” says Hilyer. “I appreciate the college taking a chance on a young, inexperienced coach and empowering me to mold this program into what it is today. I am looking forward to seeing the program continue to grow and experience even more success in the future.”
“I am eager to getting back in the classroom and being fully invested in the academic side of our physical education and sport studies program and continuing to work with our student athletes in a different aspect of their Bethany experience,” adds Hilyer.
Hilyer assumed the reins of the Bison volleyball program in 2007 and posted a record of 327-201 at the helm (.619). Her successes with the team included three Presidents’ Athletic Conference championships with three NCAA appearances in 2016, 2018, and 2022 and four Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) championships in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. She is a four-time PAC Coach of the Year.
“This is a bittersweet time for our athletic department and women’s volleyball program to see Courtney step down as head coach,” says Director of Athletics, Brian Sansom. “She has built a tremendous program on and off the court! In addition to the Coach of the Year honors, the championships, and all-conference student-athletes, we are proud and hope Courtney can reflect on the positive impact she has had on so many student-athletes and young coaches through her remarkable career.”
“While she steps down as head coach, we know she will remain part of the program in a volunteer capacity as she transitions into another important role on campus as a faculty member in our physical education and sports studies department,” adds Sansom.
Soon after arriving to Bethany, Hilyer quickly turned the Bison volleyball program into one of the top teams in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference. She is the program’s all-time winningest coach and had a winning season for the last 14 seasons.
Individually, her players at Bethany have earned All-PAC status 68 times, won PAC Player of the Year honors twice, and have been named PAC Rookie of the Year on four occasions. She has had two athletes earn a spot on ECAC and All-North Region American Volleyball Association Teams. Academically, Hilyer has had four CoSida Academic All-Americans and 133 PAC Academic Honor Roll honorees.
Prior to Bethany, Hilyer spent two years as the head coach at Penn State-Fayette, where the Lions captured back-to-back PSUAC championships. She was named Coach of the Year after both of the Lions’ PSUAC championships.
Hilyer graduated from Cedarville in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in physical education and earned a Master of Science degree in sport management from California University of Pennsylvania in 2006. Hilyer and her husband, Ryan Hilyer, Bethany’s men’s lacrosse coach, reside in Bethany, W.Va.
The search for Hilyer’s replacement will begin immediately.
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