Tyler Kanelos enters his fifth season as the leader of the Golden Eagles women's volleyball program in 2025.
In 2024, Kanelos led the Golden Eagles to a 25-8 record, their second highest win percentage season since 2006, behind only the 2022 campaign.  UC also finished with their fourth consecutive 20-win season, the first time since 2004-2007 that they’ve accomplished the feat.  Emma Shepherd, Kate Strong, Pia Selke, and London Upchurch were named All-MEC for their efforts throughout the season.  Selke joined former teammate Sage Bearnson as one of only three Golden Eagles to be named to an All-MEC team three times throughout their career.
On November 2nd, 2024, Kanelos recorded his 100th career head coaching victory with a 3-1 win over Emory and Henry.  Of the 134 active NCAA Division II coaches with at least 100 wins, Kanelos became just the 17th to reach the mark in their first four seasons. Â
The 2023 season was full of success, as UC recorded 24 wins and received votes in the AVCA Top 25 poll during the season.  The Golden Eagles earned plenty of individual hardware with Sage Bearnson, Pia Selke, Emma Shepherd, Maria Hernandez and Riley Hoff being named to All-MEC. Bearnson became only the second Golden Eagle to be named to an All-MEC team three times throughout their career.
Kanelos's 2022 season was a historic one, with the Golden Eagles amassing a 33-5 record and the highest winning percentage in program history. Charleston won the MEC South Division and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007, where the Golden Eagles won their first NCAA Tournament game since 1998. Pia Selke, Sage Bearnson, Maria Hernandez, Reagan McLean and Erin Carmody earned All-MEC Honors, with McLean also winning MEC Freshman of The Year. Selke, Bearnson and Hernandez were named AVCA All Region, and Selke became the program's first AVCA All-American. Kanelos was voted 2022 MEC Coach of the Year by the conference's head coaches.
In his first season leading the Golden Eagles in 2021, Charleston went 22-11, a 10 win improvement over the previous fall season. Â The program also achieved its most wins since 2016, highest winning percentage since 2013 and best non-conference record since 2006. Â McKenzie Carpenter, Sage Bearnson, Maria Hernandez and Reagan Phillips earned All-MEC honors. Â Sage Bearnson became the first AVCA All Region athlete for the program since 2007.
Kanelos was named the new head coach of the University of Charleston Golden Eagles women's volleyball team, as announced by Dr. Bren Stevens on April 12th 2021. He arrived in Charleston after collecting 200 wins over 9 seasons as an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I and Division II levels.
Before coming to Charleston, Kanelos served as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Marshall University during the 2020-2021 season. While at Marshall, the Thundering Herd notched a 10-5 season, 8-4 in Conference USA play. During his time in Huntington, Kanelos was responsible for working with the Marshall offense, setters, and aided in the program's nationwide recruiting.
Prior to his time at Marshall, Kanelos spent two seasons as a volunteer assistant at the University of Dayton. In his two years, the Flyers combined to go 45-17 and 25-3 in the Atlantic 10. While working with Dayton, Kanelos was responsible for training the setters and working with the offense. In just two short seasons he trained three AVCA All-Americans, two AVCA Midwest Region Players of the Year, four AVCA All Region athletes, seven All-A10 athletes, six All-A10 Tournament team honorees, the 2018 A10 Libero of the Year, the 2018 and 2019 A10 Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. In 2018, setter Brooke Westbeld finished second in the NCAA in triple doubles and was named an All-American.
The Flyers offense with Kanelos on staff finished with the 13th-ranked team hitting percentage in NCAA Division I in 2018. Dayton won the Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship both years and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Flyers also secured victories over nationally ranked Michigan and Tennessee, as well as wins over Ohio State and Kansas State.
Prior to serving at Dayton, Kanelos served as assistant coach at Arkansas-Fort Smith in 2016 and 2017, contributing to the Lady Lions' 50-13 record and back-to-back Heartland Conference regular season titles in addition the 2016 HC Tournament title. Responsible for team and individual training with a focus on setters and defense during his time at UAFS, he also was in charge of opponent scouting/game planning and nationwide recruiting. As a member of the UAFS staff, Kanelos coached four AVCA DII All-Americans and had nine players earn All-Conference honors.
In 2015, Kanelos spent the season as an assistant coach at West Florida, focusing on opponent scouting/game planning, blocking scheme, and team and individual training with a focus on setters and pin hitters. The team posted a 28-7 overall record, claimed the Gulf South Conference regular season title and made its 10th-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Argonauts had two players named to AVCA All-America rosters and had a GSC-record six all-conference honorees.
After playing one season at DIII Thiel College, Kanelos transferred to Lock Haven in 2012, joining the women's team staff as a student assistant. Over his three seasons at Lock Haven, the Bald Eagles posted three consecutive 20-win seasons, and two won Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division titles. He was responsible for opponent scouting/game planning and team and individual training, focusing on setters and defense.
Kanelos is a native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Lock Haven University in 2015 with a bachelor's of science degree in sports administration.
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