Dan Ahiers is in his second season as head volleyball coach at Carson-Newman. In his first two years, he has compiled a 56-15 overall record and 38-6 tally in league action.

2015 was once again a banner season for the Eagles as Ahiers led the group to the program's first-ever Southeast Region Championship while winning the second-most matches in school history with 29. The 29 victories were also the most in the South Atlantic Conference marking the first time since 2002 a Carson-Newman team accomplished that and the first time since 2005 that a team other than Wingate held that honor.

The team finished in the receiving votes category of the final AVCA Coaches' Poll for the first time in school history, the only team in the region to earn recognition in the poll.

Ahiers became the fastest C-N coach in program history, six coaches, to win 50 games. The second-year coach won 50 of his first 62 contests. Ahiers’s predecessor, Shannon Mincey, won 50 of her first 84 matches and held the mark for fastest to 50 wins. He is the fourth coach in SAC history with 50 or more wins in the first two seasons of coaching. Presbyterian’s Beth Couture went 58-16 in 1989-90, Ed Allen went 62-13 in 2003-04 and Gardner Webb’s Angell Benson went 58-18 in 1996-97. 

His first season as the head man of the volleyball team included a list of historic achievements:
• The team won the third-most games in program history at 27
• Recorded the fewest losses with seven
• Tallied the first sweep in NCAA Tournament play
• Notched the most wins in South Atlantic Conference play at 20
• Finished undefeated in SAC road games at 11-0
• Placed the most players on a postseason All-Conference team with five players
• Defeated the highest ranked team, No. 7 Wingate on November 1, in history
• Most wins by a first-year C-N head coach (27)
• Highest SAC finish by a first-year head coach (second)
• First All-American in program history, Jenna Wilson by AVCA and Daktronics
• Most AVCA All-Southeast Region selections in one year (3) - Rachel Harper, Jenna Wilson and Kristen Pickett 

Ahiers comes to Mossy Creek from Seattle University where he spent a year as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.  He helped the Redhawks place two players on the WAC All-Freshman and All-Conference teams while another – Iris Ivanis – earned WAC Freshman of the Year honors.

Prior to Seattle, Ahiers spent three years at the University of California Santa Barbara coaching under the legendary Kathy Gregory.  In her 38 seasons as the first head coach in UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball history, "The Queen" amassed the fifth-most wins in Division I history with a career record of 882-412 (.682), guided the Gauchos to 27 NCAA Championships, and saw her teams finished ranked among the nation's top-25 on 27 occasions.

While at UC Santa Barbara, Ahiers helped produce five All-Americans and 10 all-conference selections in his three years with the Gauchos.  As recruiting coordinator, he put together a pair of classes that were recognized as being top 30 in the nation. 

"I wouldn't recommend anyone more for the job," Ahiers' former head coach Gregory said. "He's one of the hardest working people I've ever met. He will outwork anyone to be successful.  He's ready for the position because he has all the qualifications and necessary facets to be successful.  He's a great recruiter, he's a great trainer and he's a great communicator."

Dan is married to Holli Ahiers.