.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Women's Volleyball
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Phone:
- 401/863-7418
- Email:
- Diane_Short@brown.edu
- Joined Brown:
- 25th
- Alma Mater:
- Rhode Island '86
No other coach of Brown volleyball enjoyed as much success as Diane Short. Since becoming head coach of the Bears in 1993, she has twice led Brown to the NCAA Championship tournament and has captured three Ivy League titles. Her 1998 squad recorded the most wins in Brown volleyball history, posting a perfect 7-0 ledger against Ivy League foes along the way.
Short, in her 25th season as the program’s leader in 2017-18, has coached 27 All-Ivy players, three Ivy League Players of the Year, and two Ivy League Rookies of the Year.
Under her guidance, the Bears finished in the top half of the conference in both 2013 and 2014, notching an 8-6 mark in league play in 2013 and a 7-7 record in 2014. In 2015, the Bears earned their first win over Yale since the 2005 season. From 2011-16, she has mentored seven All-Ivy players in Annika Gliottone ’12, Kathryn Conner ’15, Thea Derrough ’14, Maddie Lord ’15, Payton Smith ’17, Melissa Cairo ’18, and Sabrina Stillwell ’19.
Elevated to full-time status before the 1995 season, Short led the 1996 Brown team to its first winning record in five years, an NCAA Championship tournament trip to the University of Louisville, and the program's first 20-win season since 1984. It was the first post-season appearance for Brown in the history of the program. Under Short's direction, Tomo Nakanishi ’00 earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors, and three players were named All-Ivy.
Her 1998 team finished with a 23-9 record and another NCAA appearance, this time at the University of Hawaii. Corre Myer ’02 earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors while Nakanishi gained Ivy League Player of the Year. During her tenure Short has coached three Ivy League Players of the Year – Cathy Luke (1994), Nakanishi (1998), and Myer (2001) – as well as two Ivy League Rookies of the Year in Nakanishi (1996) and Myer (1998).
Prior to coming to Brown, Short served as an assistant coach at Providence College for three seasons (1989-91), including two seasons (1990-91) as head coach of the PC men's volleyball club team. She also brings six years of high school coaching experience with her to the Brown campus, and she has been at the helm of the 1995 Rhode Island Junior Volleyball Club.
As a player, Short was a four-year standout at the University of Rhode Island, graduating in 1986 with a B.S. in Physical Education and Health with a concentration in coaching. As a starting middle blocker, she was named Atlantic 10 All-Conference as a senior while helping lead the Rams to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1985.
Short resides in North Scituate, R.I., with her husband, Franc, and three children, Bob '09, Kyle and Becky. An IMPACT and CAP II certified coach, she is currently working towards her CAP III certification. Short is also associate director of the RI Blast Junior Volleyball club program. Her 12-and-under team won the 2004 New England Region championship, with daughter Becky being a feature player, and her 16-and-unders repeated the feat in 2006.
The Short File
NCAA Appearances (2): 1996, 1998
Ivy League Championships (3): 1996, 1998, 2001
Award Winners:
Ivy Player of the Year (3): Cathy Luke (1994), Tomo Nakanishi (1998), Corre Myer (2001)
Ivy Rookie of the Year (2): Tomo Nakanishi (1996), Corre Myer (1998)
All-Ivy (27): Cathy Luke (1993-94), Jody Budge (1993), Heather Brady (1994), Mary McMains (1995), Tomo Nakanishi (1996-99), Leyla Goldsmith (1996-97), Kathryn Rice (1996, 1998), Corre Myer (1998-99, 2001), Aneal Helms (1999), Diane Schneider (2000-01), Jessica Cooper (2001-02), Angela Dunn (2002), Kim Highlund (2003), Lauren Gibbs (2004-05), Elvina Kung (2004), Julie Mandolini-Trummel (2005), Leigh Martin (2005), Katie Lapinkski (2005-07), Rikki Baldwin (2006), Natalie Myers (2007-08), Annika Gliottone (2011), Kathryn Conner (2012, 2014), Thea Derrough (2013), Maddie Lord (2013-14), Payton Smith (2014-16), Sabrina Stillwell (2015), Melissa Cairo (2016)
Short's Record at Brown
| Year | Overall | Ivy | Ivy Finish |
| 1993 | 4-13 | 1-6 | Seventh |
| 1994 | 11-18 | 3-4 | T-Fourth |
| 1995 | 6-20 | 1-6 | Seventh |
| 1996 | 20-14 | 5-2 | T-First |
| 1997 | 14-17 | 2-5 | T-Fifth |
| 1998 | 23-9 | 7-0 | First |
| 1999 | 16-13 | 6-1 | T-First |
| 2000 | 12-12 | 2-5 | T-Sixth |
| 2001 | 16-11 | 11-3 | T-First |
| 2002 | 10-16 | 6-8 | T-Fifth |
| 2003 | 4-18 | 3-11 | T-Sixth |
| 2004 | 8-17 | 5-9 | Sixth |
| 2005 | 12-13 | 9-5 | Third |
| 2006 | 8-18 | 4-10 | Seventh |
| 2007 | 7-17 | 5-9 | Sixth |
| 2008 | 12-14 | 4-10 | Sixth |
| 2009 | 6-19 | 2-12 | Eighth |
| 2010 | 9-17 | 3-11 | Seventh |
| 2011 | 6-19 | 2-12 | Eighth |
| 2012 | 7-17 | 3-11 | Seventh |
| 2013 | 12-13 | 8-6 | T-Third |
| 2014 | 12-14 | 7-7 | Fourth |
| 2015 | 10-16 | 4-10 | Seventh |
| 2016 | 5-19 | 3-11 | Seventh |
| Total | 250-374 | 106-174 |
