Dan Meske

{{Short description|American indoor volleyball player and coach}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Dan Meske

| image = Dan Meske.jpg

| image_size = 100px

| alt =

| caption = Meske in 2024

| current_title = Head coach

| current_team = Louisville

| current_conference = ACC

| current_record = 0–0 ({{Winning percentage|0|0}})

| contract = $300,000

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|12|15}}

| birth_place = Willow Springs, Illinois

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 2004–2007

| player_team1 = Ohio State

| player_years2 = 2008

| player_team2 = BNI Taplus Volleyball

| coach_years1 = 2007–2014

| coach_team1 = Nebraska (Assistant)

| coach_years2 = 2015-2016

| coach_team2 = Augstana

| coach_years3 = 2017–2024

| coach_team3 = Louisville (Assistant)

| coach_years4 = 2025–Present

| coach_team4 = Louisville

| overall_record = 0–0({{Winning percentage|0|0}})

| tournament_record = NCAA: 0–0({{Winning percentage|0|0}})

| championships =

| awards = AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year (2022)

| coaching_records =

}}

Dan Meske (born December 15, 1984) is an American former indoor volleyball player and current head coach of the Louisville Cardinals women's volleyball team.{{cite web |last1=Cubit |first1=Alexis |title=Who is Dan Meske? Meet new Louisville volleyball coach, Dani Busboom Kelly successor |url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/louisville/2025/01/29/dan-meske-louisville-volleyball-coach-dani-busboom-kelly-nebraska/78033736007/ |website=Courier Journal |publisher=Courier Journal |access-date=1 February 2025 |date=29 January 2025}}

Early life and playing career

Meske grew up in Willow Springs, Illinois outside of Chicago in the Chicago metropolitan area. He attended Lyons Township High School where he excelled at volleyball, earning first team all state and finishing 4th in the state championship.{{cite web |title=Dan Meske Bio |url=https://huskers.com/staff/dan-meske |website=Huskers |publisher=University of Nebraska |access-date=28 May 2025}}

Meske went on to play four years at Ohio State. During his career, he would help lead OSU to a 2005 national semifinal appearance and two MIVA championships before graduating in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in construction management.{{cite web |last1=Titus |first1=Payton |title=How Louisville volleyball coach Dan Meske fell in love with sport, Cardinals culture |url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/louisville/2025/03/03/louisville-volleyball-dan-meske-dani-busboom-kelly-anna-debeer-elena-scott/78087625007/ |website=Courier Journal |access-date=28 May 2025 |date=3 March 2025}}

Meske spent one season playing professionally for the BNI Taplus Volleyball team in 2008.

Coaching career

=Nebraska=

Meske began his collegiate coaching career at the Nebraska where he began as the team's graduate manager in 2007 before serving as a volunteer coach and eventually became a full-time assistant coach.

=Augstana=

Meske's first head coaching experience came at Augstana, a NCAA Division II school in Sioux Falls where he coached women's volleyball team from 2015 to 2016. In his two seasons leading the team, the Vikings made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008 and won tehir first tournament game since 2006.{{cite web |title=Dan Meske Bio |url=https://gocards.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/coaches/dan-meske/2746 |website=Go Cards |publisher=University of Louisville |access-date=28 May 2025}}

=Louisville=

In 2017, Dan Meske left Augstana and joined the Louisville coaching staff as an assistant coach to head coach Dani Busboom Kelly. In his eight years under Busboom Kelly, he helped the Louisville program reach new heights including eight straight NCAA Tournament appearances, the first Elite Eight appearance in program history, winning four ACC Championships, three national semifinal appearances, and two national championship appearances. In 2022, Meske was named the AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year.{{cite web |last1=Owens |first1=Zak |title=Dan Meske named UofL volleyball head coach: Details |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/news/2025/01/31/meske-named-uofl-volleyball-coach.html |website=Louisville Business First |publisher=The Business Journals |access-date=28 May 2025 |date=31 January 2025}}

Dan Meske was named the eighth head coach of the University of Louisville women's volleyball team following the departure of Busboom Kelly in January 2025.{{cite web |title=Dan Meske Officially Named Louisville Volleyball's Next Head Coach |url=https://www.si.com/college/louisville/other-sports/dan-meske-officially-named-volleyballs-next-head-coach |website=Louisville Cardinals On SI |publisher=Sports Illustrated |access-date=28 May 2025 |date=31 January 2025}}