NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Niagara University Director of Athletics Ed McLaughlin has named former Pitt women’s volleyball assistant coach Dottie Porch as the new Purple Eagle head coach.

Porch becomes the 10th head coach in school history. She takes over a program that has won three straight MAAC Tournaments (2009-11) and has made three straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

“Dottie is an excellent addition to our talented group of head coaches,” McLaughlin said. “She brings a significant amount of recruiting experience as well as marked success in developing talent. We expect her to continue the successes of the program in our pursuit of winning championships and graduating leaders who will be successful in the world.”

Porch’s experience at some of the nation’s top programs has made her a rising star in the profession. Porch has been an assistant coach at three Division I programs while serving as a head coach at the club level. Porch’s previous stop was with the Pitt Panther program where she oversaw the development of the outside hitters. During her one season with the Panthers, Porch helped lead Pitt among the leaders in the Big East statistically.

The Panthers ranked in the top half in service aces, hitting percentage and kills, while her outside hitter, Monica Wignot, ranked in the top 10 in kills and points in the conference. Defensively, Pitt ranked fourth in the Big East in blocks and fourth in opponent hitting percentage. Porch was also the academic coach and liaison with academic advisors, coordinated team travel and travel budget and handled opponent scouting.

"I want to thank Athletic Director, Ed McLaughlin for choosing me as Niagara's next head volleyball coach,” Porch said. “I am humbled and excited at the chance to continue and contribute to the winning traditions, athletically and academically, here at Niagara." 

Previously, Porch served as an assistant with the George Mason women's volleyball team for four consecutive seasons (2007-10) including winning the 2009 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. At George Mason, she oversaw the development of the Patriots into one of the most dominant blocking teams in the CAA. On her watch, several individuals have been ranked among the nation's blocking leaders, including Kelsey Bohman, who was ranked 12th in the country in 2009.

Porch spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons as an assistant coach for the Indiana Hoosiers. While at IU, her main responsibility was working with the middle blockers as they set single-season records in blocks and block assists during her two seasons. In 2005, the Hoosiers eclipsed the single-season total blocks record (328) and tied the block assists record (560). Additionally, individual single-season records for total and block assists were set by middle blocker Mandy Eberle that year.

Porch entered the coaching world as the co-coach of the Indy Juniors Volleyball Club from 2002-05. Her squad advanced to the 2004 USA Nationals. Additionally, every senior was recruited to play collegiately.

Before she became heavily involved in coaching, Porch played professionally in four different European professional leagues. Porch was an outside hitter for leagues in Turkey, Portugal, Italy and Finland. She helped lead her Finish team, Orivesi, to the Suomen Cup and was named the Suomen Cup Player of the Game and European Cup Player of the Game.

A two-sport student-athlete at the Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), Porch played both basketball and volleyball. Porch received accolades as an AVCA All-American, two-time IPFW Female Athlete of the Year, three-time All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honoree and two-time all-region honoree. In December 2010, Porch was inducted into the IPFW Athletics Hall of Fame.

Porch is a member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA), Black Coaches and Administrators (BCA) and the AVCA Minority Volleyball Coaches Committee.

A 1998 graduate, Porch holds a bachelor’s degree in communications radio and television from IPFW. She spent some time as a member of WTHR-TV NBC Channel 13 production team in Indianapolis, Ind.