Valdosta, Ga. - After five seasons at the helm of the Valdosta State Volleyball program, Mike Swan has announced his retirement from collegiate coaching.

After much thought and consideration, Swan made his announcement and expressed the desire to pursue an alternate career after 30-plus successful years of coaching collegiate volleyball. His plans are to continue to reside in Valdosta.

Since Swan's arrival in 2013, the Blazers have seen tremendous success. Valdosta State compiled a 79-46 record under the veteran coach, and Swan achieved his 600th career win during the 2016 season. In 2014, he led the Blazers to their first ever appearance in the NCAA Regional Tournament, and helped the program score its first ever Gulf South Conference Title.

"Mike has done a great job making our volleyball program competitive at the top of the Gulf South Conference and within the south region and I appreciate his hard work on behalf of Valdosta State and our volleyball student-athletes," said Athletic Director Herb Reinhard. "Our 2014 GSC championship and NCAA Tournament appearance were firsts in our volleyball history and Mike was certainly responsible for that success. While I'm disappointed he will no longer be part of our Athletic Department  I am pleased that he plans on staying in our community and we wish him the very best."

During his tenure, Swan led the Blazers to unprecedented success in the classroom, including a season during which eight of his 13 players posted perfect 4.0 GPA in the fall of 2015. After being named the GSC Coach of the Year in 2013, Swan helped produce 11 All-GSC honorees in just five years, and setter Jessica Codato was named the GSC Player of the Year for two straight years.

"I knew VSU would be my last place to coach," stated Swan. "I've been blessed beyond measure to work with so many talented student-athletes over three decades, but I felt this was the right time for me to retire from coaching. Serving at Valdosta State these past five years was an incredible experience. The administration, coaching staffs, and support personnel are so gifted and dedicated. I'm forever grateful to Herb Reinhard and Jennifer Grubbs for giving me this opportunity. I wish I had come to Valdosta State many years earlier."

A national search for Swan's replacement is now underway. To apply, please visit the job posting on the official Valdosta State University web page.