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OUAZ Athletics

Kyle Steele

Kyle Steele

Kyle Steele is the only head coach of the men's volleyball program at OUAZ, and in six seasons, he has guided the Spirit to a 93-40 (.699) overall record alongside the 2021 GSAC East title and 2022 GSAC Championship title. The Spirit has made three appearances at the NCCAA National Invitational and back-to-back appearances in the NAIA National Championship. After winning the 2019 NCCAA National Championship, OUAZ posted consecutive runner-up finishes in 2020 and 2021. 

Before coming to OUAZ to start the men's program, Steele spent three seasons as the women's coach at Oklahoma City University. He compiled a 73-25 overall record with one conference title and a trip to the NAIA National Championship.

In seven seasons as a collegiate head coach, Steele's teams have amassed 166 wins and a .719 winning percentage. 

OUAZ (2017-Present)

During the 2023 season the Spirit went 14-9 (.609) with a 5-5 conference run. In their third consecutive GSAC Tournament appearance, the Spirit fell in round one to the Master's. Despite the short conference run the Spirit were offered their second-consecutive bid to the NAIA National Championship tournament where they ended their season in game two of pool play. The Spirit finished with a top-5 NAIA ranking for the second year in a row.

The Spirit saw their winningest season in 2022, accumulating 25 wins with only 4 losses (.862). Going 9-1 against conference foes, the Spirit earned their first GSAC Championship title, earning their first ever bid to the NAIA National Championship Tournament. Despite falling in pool play, the Spirit closed their most successful season with a top-5 ranking in the NAIA Top-25 Poll. 

OUAZ went 12-4 (.750) during the 2021 season, and the Spirit won the GSAC East with an 8-0 record in conference matches. They reached the GSAC Championship Match, where they fell in four sets at Vanguard. OUAZ once again finished as the runner-up at the NCCAA National Invitational. The Spirit was ranked in every NAIA Coaches' Poll released during the season.

During the 2020 season, OUAZ recorded a 13-5 (.722) record, and they were fourth in the GSAC with a 6-4 conference record. The Spirit finished as the runner-up at the NCCAA National Championship, and they were receiving votes in the final NAIA Coaches' Poll.

The 2019 season saw the Spirit capture the NCCAA National Championship after sweeping their way through all four matches at the tournament. They would finish the season with a 14-8 (.636) overall record and third in the GSAC with a 5-5 conference mark.

Steele guided the Spirit to a program record 15 wins during the team's inaugural season in 2018. Their 15-10 (.600) overall record included four wins at the Sienna Heights Tournament.

Oklahoma City (Women) (2014-2016)
In three seasons as head coach of the OCU women's program, Steele directed the Stars to a 73-25 (.745). They won the 2016 Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships to advance into the NAIA Championships.

In 2016, Oklahoma City went 32-5 with its first-ever wins at the NAIA Championships among a collection of program milestones that includes: highest national ranking ever at No. 11, first SAC regular-season title, second SAC Tournament championship, first 30-win season since 2008, the SAC's 11th undefeated conference record and first 18-0 SAC record. Steele earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association NAIA South Central Region coach of the year plus his second consecutive SAC coach of the year award last season.

In his three seasons as OCU, Steele boasted seven all-Americans, nine all-region performers, 21 all-conference choices, eight NAIA scholar-athlete award winners, 13 academic all-conference selections, and one CoSIDA academic all-district pick. He had the SAC most valuable player, two SAC hitter of the year honorees, one SAC newcomer of the year recipient, a league freshman of the year, one region player of the year, and a region freshman of the year with the Stars.

Assistant Coaching Career
Before taking over at OCU, Steele had been an assistant coach at Southern Nazarene University and Redlands Community College. Steele coached 13 all-conference performers, nine scholar-athlete award winners, a conference defensive player of the year, a league newcomer of the year, and three all-Americans in three years at Southern Nazarene.

Playing Career
Steele is an accomplished beach and indoor volleyball player, as he still competes on the AVP and CBVA circuits. He began his playing career at Putnam City North High School. He spent a year in Stillwater, Okla., at Oklahoma State playing club ball before playing on the California Baptist men's team, a program that won eight NAIA national championships from 1999-2011.

Personal

Steele holds his degree in organizational leadership from Southern Nazarene. He resides in Surprise, Ariz., with his wife, Taryn, and their children Kambria, Berklee, Kollisyn, and Stafford.