Little Rock Volleyball announced on Apr. 3 the hiring of Mike Becker as associate head coach, bringing a coach with national experience and a championship background to its staff.
The move is intended to strengthen the program as it enters the United Athletic Conference. Becker brings coaching experience from major conferences including the Big Ten, Big 12, and Missouri Valley Conference, with expertise in player development, scouting, and recruiting.
Becker previously served on staff at West Virginia focusing on video analysis and player development. He also spent time at Iowa as an assistant coach and Director of Volleyball Video Analytics where he managed advanced analytics and assisted with recruiting strategy. His earlier coaching career includes roles at Michigan State as lead scout and Illinois State, where he helped secure three consecutive Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championships along with three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Aubrey Becker said, “We are thrilled to welcome Mike Becker to Little Rock Volleyball as the Associate Head Coach. This program will greatly benefit from his elite training and player development abilities.” Mike Becker said joining Little Rock is both professionally exciting and personally meaningful: “Joining the Little Rock volleyball program is an incredible opportunity. I am excited to work with our student-athletes, support the vision of the program and help build a championship culture.”
During his tenure at Illinois State, Becker led opponent scouting efforts while working primarily with blocking and defensive systems; under his guidance Illinois State led their conference in both blocking and opponent hitting percentage each season. In 2021 he received the American Volleyball Coaches Association Thirty Under 30 Award for top young coaches in volleyball.
Becker has also worked in club volleyball coaching high-level prospects, held athletic development positions at University of the Pacific, was a standout student-athlete at Springfield College winning three NCAA Division III National Championships (2010, 2012, 2013), earned team MVP honors during their title run in 2013 under Charlie Sullivan, completed his bachelor’s degree from Springfield in sport management (2013) and master’s degree from University of Pacific (2016).
“Mike brings championship experience as both a player and coach, elite recruiting and scouting strategies, and an unmatched work ethic to the Trojans,” Aubrey Becker said.
Looking ahead to his new role—and life in Arkansas—Becker said: “Little Rock is a vibrant and beautiful city with so much to offer our family and recruits. I look forward to representing Little Rock and will work tirelessly to make the university, community and alumni proud.”
