Second-year coach sets Durant on fast track

Back at her alma mater, Dawn Hough leads the Cougars to an early 6-1 record.

By KEITH NIEBUHR, Times Staff Writer
Published September 23, 2007

There was never any doubt in her mind.

For as long as Dawn Hough can remember, she wanted to someday teach at her alma mater, Durant. And coach volleyball.

So when Hough received an e-mail from a Durant employee following the Cougars' 2005 season that said the school needed a volleyball coach, she jumped at the chance.

"I remember calling my dad and telling him that I was going to apply," Hough said. "Once I got that e-mail, I started thinking, 'Okay, I can get this job.' I was so excited."

Now in her second season, Hough, 26, and her state-ranked Cougars are off to a 6-1 start.

"I love it here," Hough said. "I think the girls are amazing."

The feeling appears to be mutual.

"We all look up to her so much," senior setter Alexa Donini said.

That's because Hough was no ordinary player.

While at Durant in the late 1990s, she was an all-state middle blocker under legendary Cougars coach Teri Ohme. Later, she started for Florida State.

"She played at Durant, and because she's come back as coach, we know she loves it here," Donini said. "She cares about the tradition and wants to keep it going."

When Hough played for Durant, the Cougars reached three state semifinals.

But Hough wasn't just a star back then - she was a student of the game.

"I really looked up to Teri Ohme," Hough said. "She was very intense and strict, but she cared about us. She was building us as young women before we went to college. She was my mom away from home."

Apparently, those characteristics rubbed off on Hough.

"She's an awesome person," Donini said. "We can go to her and talk about anything. But when we get on the court, she's strict and we go by the rules. That's how we win."

As a player, Hough never won a state title.

As a coach, she hopes to pull it off. And she's serious about making it happen.

Durant players are forbidden from eating sweets during the season. Before and after matches, they have healthy meals. During the offseason, they're given a packet that describes a series of workouts each is expected to perform.

She even practices with the team.

And, as you might imagine, she's still pretty good.

"When we want to scrimmage, she hits in the middle, and she's amazing," Donini said.

[Last modified September 23, 2007, 00:33:31]