CORVALLIS, Ore. – Head coach Lindsey Behonick has completed her staff for the 2024 season with the hiring of Aaron Samarin as an assistant coach.
“I am thrilled to be joining the coaching staff at Oregon State”, said Samarin. “From observing OSU Volleyball so far and tracking the team’s success under Coach Behonick’s leadership, I know the culture of competitiveness and mission of caring a lot are directly in line with what I am passionate about. The athletes on this team are dedicated, and I look forward to helping them in their growth and progress toward future accomplishments. A huge thank you to Coach Lindsey Behonick, Jacque Bruns, and the entire hiring committee for their belief in me and providing me with this opportunity. I can’t wait to get to work!”
Samarin comes to Corvallis from a pair of Mountain West schools, Nevada and Fresno State, as well as time with the UC Merced men’s program.
He comes to Oregon State following the 2023 season with Nevada.
During his time in Fresno, he worked his way up from the director of operations to technical coordinator to assistant coach. He helped guide the Bulldogs to 16th in the country in aces per set with 1.85 in the 2021 season and he even worked alongside current OSU assistant coach, Abbie Wright in 2022.
Prior to his stint with the Bulldogs, he helped lead UC Merced to a 12-1 mark in the COVID-impacted 2021 season.
Samarin started his coaching journey in the prep ranks where he coached Buchanan High School and led the Elite Beach Volleyball Indoor Club 16s in Clovis, California.
A standout libero for Ohio State in his collegiate days, Samarin was honored with the Big Ten’s 2018 Sportsmanship award and starred for the Buckeyes from 2015-19. Upon leaving Columbus, Ohio, he finished 18th in Ohio State history in digs per set with 1.61, was a five-time Ohio State Scholar-Athleteand five-time MIVA Academic All-American. Additionally, he helped lead the Buckeyes to a pair of national championships in 2016 and 2017.
While attending graduate school at Durham University in the United Kingdom, Samarin played professionally for Durham Palatinate.
“I am very excited to have Aaron in Corvallis and on my staff at Oregon State,” added Behonick. “His exceptional skillset, personable demeanor, and passion for the game are reasons why I know he will be a great fit here. Upon getting to know him, I can tell his values are aligned with the mission of where this program is headed. He has played and understands the game at a high level, has experience in multiple coaching roles and is creative in his approach to training. I am fortunate to add his many talents to our staff and I know that his volleyball career has a very high ceiling.”
