West-Mather Picked As New Head Men's Volleyball Coach

North Andover, Mass. – Hayden West-Mather has been named the head coach of the Merrimack College men's volleyball program, as announced by Director of Athletics, Joe Foley on Tuesday afternoon. He will become the second coach in program history.

West-Mather comes to North Andover from Nichols College where he served as the head coach of the men's volleyball program. He found immediate success in his role, leading a program that had never won an NCAA tournament game to an elite eight appearance in the Division III NCAA tournament. His team finished the 2024-25 season on a 14-4 run winning the NEVC conference tournament championship, with three of their four losses coming to eventual final four teams. After beating Randolph-Macon College in the first round of the NCAA tournament, West-Mather was recognized as the youngest head coach in NCAA history to win a tournament game. His team's second round win over Steven's Institute of Technology is considered to be one of the biggest upsets in men's volleyball tournament history. 

"We are excited to welcome Hayden West-Mather to Merrimack," Foley said.  "Hayden's commitment to serving students combined with his passion and intellect for the game of volleyball make him a great fit to lead this team.  He is familiar with the region, embraces the student-athletes' holistic development as a priority, and has demonstrated an ability to win at a very high level on the court.  We are thrilled to have his leadership over our men's volleyball program and look forward to the great things he and his team will achieve in the years to come."

"First, I want to thank everyone that made this possible", said West Mather. "Especially Joe Foley, Shanna Alexander, and Jen Konopisos who made this process so smooth, welcoming, and motivating. I am extremely thankful to be selected to lead such a great group of young men and to represent such a prestigious institution. With the amazing support system in place, as well as the ambitions the athletic department, there is no telling where this program can go. Lastly, I would like to thank all the mentors and athletes who have brought me to where I am today, I owe this all to you. Now it's time to get to work!"

Prior to his tenure at Nichols, West-Mather served for three years as head coach of the Beantown Volleyball Club, leading the Boys' 18's and Girls' 17's teams. West-Mather also worked under the tutelage of Peter Suxho, former Albanian National Team coach and father of former Team USA Olympic setter Donald Suxho as an assistant coach at Natick High School. Throughout his career Hayden worked with top prospects from the United States, Canada, and Europe, who have gone on to compete at the highest levels of collegiate volleyball.

West-Mather graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston with a Bachelor's degree in Management.

What they are saying about Hayden:
Emme Price – Head Women's Volleyball Coach at South Puget Sound Community College
"Hayden is someone who emphasizes discipline and this promotion is a testament to his skills and leadership."

Andre Foster – Head Women's Volleyball Coach at University of New Haven
"Hayden is one of the hardest working coaches I have worked with. His volleyball knowledge is second to none. His ability to recruit at the highest level and his eagerness to make each player on the roster better make him a great candidate to take over Merrimack."