When the Mississippi State Lady Dawg Volleyball team takes the court this fall, they will look for guidance from a new coach with a familiar face. Tina Seals, formerly Tina Burcham, has returned to the scene of her All-SEC career to take the reins.
In January, Seals was named the head coach of a program that won three games last season and graduated half of its roster. While her task remains daunting, Seals says the chance to return to the Maroon and White fold was simply too good to pass up.
“Being a Bulldog is in my blood,” Seals said. “I just want to give back to Mississippi State a little of what it invested in me, and build a respectable program.”
Though this is Seals’ first major college coaching job, she is no stranger to running her own program or being successful at it. Seals logged 12 years at Northwest-Shoals Community College, where she was named Alabama Junior College Coach of the Year seven times and coached nine All-Americans. Seals admits she is finding the transition demanding, but says she will continue to try her hardest to make it work.
“The most demanding part of the job right now is learning how things work (at this level). I’m coming from a system where I was comfortable and the person people came to when they had questions. Now I’m learning a new system along with the players, and I’m just trying to do things the right way.”
The landscape of MSU athletics has changed greatly since Seals’ time here ended in the mid-1980’s. However, she says its mostly been for the better.
“Well, when I played here we played in the coliseum, not our own facility. We also didn’t have the equipment and resources that we do now. Athletes were also housed on campus, whereas now they are treated more like normal students.”
Seals served as a team captain for three of the four MSU squads she played on, and Athletic Director Larry Templeton is hoping her coaching skills will bring the program the same kind of respect Seals garnered as a player.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring one of our own back to direct the Mississippi State volleyball program,” said Templeton. “Tina not only has a great understanding of our university but also has the leadership qualities to lead our volleyball program to the next level.”