Trinity Lutheran coach Faith Wilder-Newland talks during a timeout at the state finals held at Worthen Arena on the Ball State campus Nov. 6, 2021.
The Republic file photo
By Dylan Wallace
For The Republic
SEYMOUR — Last week, Trinity Lutheran volleyball head coach Faith Wilder-Newland announced she is retiring from coaching.
Wilder-Newland, who has been coaching the game in some capacity for the past 36 years, finished her career with lots of success at Trinity over the past five seasons.
“After coaching high school and club volleyball since I graduated from Franklin College in 1986, I will be retiring from coaching,” Wilder-Newland wrote in a statement. “The past five years that I have coached at Trinity Lutheran High School and Cougar Volleyball Club have been some of the most enjoyable years of my career.”
While at Trinity, Wilder-Newland compiled a record of 140-38 for a .787 winning percentage. In all five of her seasons, Wilder-Newland won a sectional championship with the Cougars, whose streak for sectional titles now stands at nine.
Wilder-Newland won two regional titles, two semistate titles and finished runner-up at the Class A state finals twice — 2019 and 2021.
In 2019, she was the Class 1A State Coach of the Year.
“I know that the program will be in the best of hands and continue to grow and succeed,” Wilder-Newland said of the Cougars.
In her career, Wilder-Newland had an impressive record of 778-234 for a .769 winning percentage.
Before coming to Trinity, Wilder-Newland coached for 24 years at Columbus East.
Wilder-Newland played three years of varsity volleyball at Jennings County, then played four years at Franklin College. She became an assistant with the Olympians from 1986-90, then took over as head coach from 1991-2014.
At East, Wilder-Newland had a record of 639-136. She won 14 sectional titles, 10 regional championships and one semistate championship in 1992.
Wilder-Newland was the Indiana High School Volleyball Coaches Association South Coach of the Year in 1997 and 2010, District 4 Coach of the Year in 1995 and Hoosier Hills Conference Coach of the Year 14 different times — 1993-2000, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012.
During her time at Franklin College, Wilder-Newland met her husband Dave Newland, who was a coach at East and coached with her in the East Columbus Volleyball Club.
Faith said Dave also is retiring, and the two look forward to spending more time with their friends and family.
“Together with my husband Dave Newland, who is also retiring, we possess 75 combined years of coaching experience,” she said. “We look forward to spending more time with family and friends.”
