Sam Erger

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Samantha Erger

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| current_title = Head coach

| current_team = SMU

| current_conference = ACC

| current_record = {{winpct|73|25|record=y}}

| contract =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1989|06|12}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater = Bowling Green State University (B.A.)
University of Findlay (MBA)

| player_team1 = Bowling Green State

| player_years1 = 2007–2010

| coach_years1 = 2011–2012

| coach_team1 = Findlay (Graduate assistant)

| coach_years2 = 2013

| coach_team2 = Hill College

| coach_years3 = 2014–2021

| coach_team3 = Baylor

| coach_years4 = 2022–present

| coach_team4 = SMU

| overall_record = {{winpct|102|34|record=y}}

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

American Athletic Conference Champions (2023)

North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference Champions (2013)

| awards =

AVCA Thirty Under 30.{{Cite web|url=https://baylorbears.com/news/2018/4/5/Samantha_Erger_Named_AVCA_Thirty_Under_30_Award_Winner|title =Samantha Erger Named AVCA Thirty Under 30 Award Winner}}

North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference District F Coach of the Year (2013)

| coaching_records =

}}

Samantha "Sam" Erger ({{née|Fish}}; born June 12, 1989) is an American former volleyball player who is the head coach of the Southern Methodist University (SMU) women's volleyball team. She previously served as head coach at Hill College, and was an assistant coach at Baylor and University of Findlay.

Personal life

Erger and her husband, James, who played basketball at Bowling Green State, have three children. Her father, Jim Fish, is a high school volleyball coach at North Branch High School in North Branch, Michigan.{{Cite web|url=https://smumustangs.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/coaches/sam-erger/6525|title =Sam Erger- SMU Coaching Bio}}

Career

=Playing career=

Erger was a setter for Bowling Green State from 2007 to 2010. She graduated ranking fifth all-time in career assists, second in single-season assists, and top 10 in career aces in the school's record book. Following graduation, she was a member of the inaugural class of the 2011 FCA Volleyball college internship program and was a 2010 American Volleyball Coaches Association Coaches for Coaches scholarship recipient. Erger graduated from Bowling Green State in 2011 with a degree in business administration and marketing.

=Coaching career=

Prior to being named the head coach at SMU, Erger had two collegiate coaching jobs, at Findlay (graduate assistant), before making her head coach debut at Hill College in 2013. In her sole season as head coach, she led Hill College to a 29–9 record, an NTJCAC Conference title and ended a 12-year school drought by reaching the NJCAA Division I national tournament. She was subsequently honored as the 2013 NJCAA District F Coach of the Year.

She was named as assistant coach at Baylor University in 2014. During her eight seasons at the program, she also served as the recruiting coordinator, setting coach, and was promoted to associate head coach her final two seasons.

In 2022, she was named head coach of the SMU Mustang's women's volleyball team. The team had a strong season in her debut year as head coach, finishing 3rd in conference play. In her second season, she led the team to the American Athletic Conference title and a berth into the NCAA tournament. In 2024, SMU moved to the ACC conference. The team made national headlines for two major upsets during the season: defeating then–number 2 ranked Nebraska in a stunning 3–0 sweep,{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/volleyball-women/article/2024-09-03/smu-sweeps-no-2-nebraska-womens-volleyball-upset|title =SMU sweeps No. 2 Nebraska in women's volleyball upset}} then following with an even bigger upset, when they defeated conference foe and number 1 ranked Pittsburgh, handing the then-undefeated Panthers their first loss of the season.{{Cite web|url=https://smumustangs.com/news/2024/10/13/volleyball-no-15-mustangs-continue-to-prove-they-belong-upset-no-1-pitt.aspx|title =Sam Erger- SMU Coaching Bio}} SMU would go on to finish 4th in what is considered one of the toughest volleyball conferences in the country.