Builders
Preston, Dave
(1967 - )
SPORT | Volleyball
POSITION | Coach
YEAR OF INDUCTION | 2022
Dave Preston was an outstanding high school volleyball player at Ursuline College and his final year at London Oakridge and continued playing with the Western Mustangs.
It is coaching where Dave has made his mark as one the world elites in his field. Dave has spent nearly three decades coaching university men's volleyball at Western Ontario and McMaster University and over 10 years of international volleyball for Canada and Australia.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
1981-1985 – Dave credits his love for volleyball to one of his elementary school teachers, Shawn Moynihan along with Ursuline College coaches Mary-Jane (Kiraga) Courie and Pat Whelihan. As a Lancers' player, Dave was also an assistant coach with the senior girls team.
1985 – Dave moved to London to attend Oakridge for his Grade 13 year where then teacher / coach Vaughan Peckham became a major influence in Dave’s coaching career.
1987-1988 – played for the Western University Mustangs Varsity Volleyball team
1988 returned to Oakridge Secondary School to work with Vaughan Peckham and became the head coach for the Oaks leading them to the 1992 OFSAA 'AAA' championship.
1993-2002 - Dave was named head coach of the Western University Mustangs men's volleyball team. The Mustangs won six OUA West Division Championships with a record of 89-19.
2002-Present – Dave became the head coach of the McMaster Marauders volleyball team
His Marauders have won 10 championships overall including six consecutive (2012-18) and six National Championship medals during the same period.
Dave has been named Conference Coach of the Year seven times and National Coach of the Year three times.
In 2022, Dave led the Marauders to their 10th Forsyth Cup OUA championship in his 21 years at McMaster and won his seventh OUA West Coach of The Year.
Dave's Marauders won back-to-back OUA championships in 2008 and '09 and again in 2011 before reeling off a record six straight from 2013-18.
McMaster medaled in six straight CIS national championships – silver medals in 2013 and '16, bronze medals in 2014, '15, 17' and '18.
Dave was named CIS Coach of The Year in the 2007-08 and 2012-13 seasons.
Dave has guided McMaster to a 341-89 won-loss record between the 2002-03 and 2021-22 seasons.
Provincial, National Teams
1991-1993 – Dave was an assistant coach of Team Ontario, winning gold at the 1993 Canada Games.
1995-1997 – Team Ontario head coach, winning gold in the NTCC in 1995 and 1996 and bronze in the 1997 Canada Games.
1997-2004 – Dave was an assistant coach of the men’s National Team as their bronze medal at the 1999 Pan Am Games which earned the team an induction into the Volleyball Canada Hall of Fame. During this time Dave competed in two World Championships, one World Cup and four FIVB World Leagues.
2012-2013 – Dave was head coach of the Canada U21 team winning a silver medal at the NORCECA Championship and finished 10th at Junior World Championships in Turkey.
2019 – Dave was the head coach of FISU Games in Naples, Italy
2021 – Dave was an assistant coach of the Canadian Youth National Team
2022 – Dave is currently the head coach of the Australian men's national team.
Dave and his wife Gloria live in Hamilton Ontario, with daughters Grace and Gabrielle.
Dave’s mother Ruby, sister Karen and two of three brothers still live in the Chatham region.