Don Flora was announced as the seventh head volleyball coach in school history in May 2016. Flora joined Southwestern University as the fourth-winningest active coach in Division III volleyball with a .820 winning percentage.

In just his first season Flora guided the Pirates to their first NCAA Division III Semifinal appearance and West Region Championship, ending the season with a 34-5 overall mark. For his efforts, Flora was selected as the SCAC Coach of the Year. In his tenure, Flora has guided the Pirates to three NCAA Tournament appearances including second-round appearances in 2017 and 2021. 

Flora comes to Southwestern after reviving a fledgling Texas Tech program. In his five seasons in Lubbock, Flora guided the Red Raiders to 67 wins, over twice as many victories as the program earned in the five years prior to his arrival.  Additionally, Flora coached two American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Americans, multiple All-Region and All-Big 12 selections, and nine Big 12 All-Academic selections this past season alone, the most of any team in the conference.

Prior to Texas Tech, Flora served as the assistant coach at New Mexico State after an illustrious career at the University of La Verne. Flora developed the Leopards into an elite national power as one of only three programs to finish ranked in the top 10 in the final AVCA national poll nine straight seasons (2000-08, including five Final Four appearances.  He was named the AVCA and Volleyball Magazine National Coach of the Year after guiding ULV to an NCAA Division III title in 2001. A four-time AVCA West Region Coach of the Year, Flora and the Leopards won nine consecutive Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championships and set the SCIAC record for consecutive wins with 56 victories spanning five seasons (2001-2005). Flora posted a 269-59 record at the University of La Verne (.820 winning percentage), including a 140-10 (.933) record in conference play. 

Flora graduated with a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from La Verne in 1990 before later returning to the classroom to earn his master’s degree in the leadership and management curriculum in 2000. While volleyball is his main focus now, Flora was a three-sport athlete in college, competing on the football, tennis and volleyball squads where he was a two-time all-conference setter. 

In his spare time, Flora was heavily involved in USA High Performance along with various club circuits, junior development programs and camps in the southwest region and across the nation.

Flora, a native of Covina, Calif., and his wife, Jeanne, currently reside in Georgetown with their two daughters, Annika and Alexis.

THE FLORA FILE

Hometown: Covina, Calif.
High School: Charter Oak '86
Alma Mater: La Verne '90, '00
Bachelor's Degree: Social Sciences
Master's Degree: Leadership & Management
Playing Experience: Volleyball, Football, and Tennis, University of La Verne, 1987-90
Wife: Dr. Jeanne Flora
Children: Annika, Alexis

COACHING EXPERIENCE

2015-present: Southwestern University Head Coach
2011-15: Texas Tech Head Coach
2009-11: New Mexico State Assistant Coach
1998-08: La Verne Head Coach (women's)
1993-97: La Verne Head Coach (men's)
1993-97: La Verne Assistant Coach (women's)