Don Gromala knows the importance of balancing athletics and academics.
Since taking over the Kent State volleyball program in 2012, the Flashes have won the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award four times and the team’s overall grade point average has risen to a 3.5.
He’s coached four players who were selected as Mid-American Conference Distinguished Scholar-Athletes, and 11 players who have been named to the Academic All-MAC team.
Four times, his program achieved a perfect Academic Progress Report score of 1,000 — the NCAA’s method of measuring retention and graduation rates for student-athletes — according to its online database.