Dan Porath

ESCANABA — Dan Porath has been chosen to be the first head coach of the new volleyball program at Bay de Noc Community College, athletic director Matt Johnson announced on Friday.

He begins his duties on Nov. 14 as this Nordics team starts competition next fall. Volleyball will be the school’s seventh sport, joining men’s and women’s cross country in the fall, men’s and women’s basketball in the winter and baseball and softball in the spring.

Porath is an Escanaba native and Bay College graduate and has been the head volleyball coach at Wisconsin Green Bay-Marinette since 2003.

He led the Buccaneers to Wisconsin Junior College Athletic Association Region II championships in 2004, 2007 and 2008, while his team won the Wisconsin Collegiate Conference tournament in 2019, a year after finishing as runner-up.

“I graduated from Escanaba and went to school at Bay College, so the idea of being the first head volleyball coach at Bay is very exciting,” Porath said in a Bay College athletics news release. “I am excited for the opportunity to build a volleyball program in my hometown.

“With that I am also very motivated to build a great program.”

Johnson concurred.

“We are elated to welcome Coach Porath as our head volleyball coach,” the Bay AD said. “To attract a coach of Dan’s championship pedigree speaks of the excitement and culture of success within the Norse athletic department.

“His work ethic, attention to detail and history of creating a winning culture makes him the perfect choice to lead us in our inaugural season. Dan will not only bring invaluable experience to the team but to our department and campus.

“He is a seasoned leader who I know will lead our student-athletes to the highest levels on the court and in the classroom.”

Previous to his longtime head coaching stint at Marinette, he was an assistant coach in the same program from 2000-03. He got his coaching start as an assistant coach at Gladstone High School from 1995-96 and was JV coach at Rapid River High School from 1997-98.

Porath is also the co-club director of the Northwoods Volleyball Club based out of Marinette, Wisconsin. It is a nonprofit organization with the goal of teaching skills to improve teamwork, sportsmanship and volleyball techniques to players of all ages.

Norse athletics competes independently as a Division 2 member of the National Junior College Athletic Association in Region 13. Bay joins eight other volleyball teams in the region that spans the Upper Peninsula, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana.

For more information and updated news, schedules and roster additions, follow Norse Athletics at www.baynorse.com.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.