Steven Gream
Steven Gream enters his seventh season as head coach at Cowley College. In his first season, he led the Cowley Volleyball team to a KJCCC conference co-championship, a 25-9 overall record, and a top 10 NJCAA national ranking. In year two, Cowley captured the District N title and won 40 matches for the first time since the 1979 season en route to a fifth-place national finish. In 2018, Cowley finished one game out of another conference championship and ended the year with a record of 33-7. In 2019, he led the program to a top-five national ranking and a record of 31-6. In 2020, a Covid shortened season, he led the Cowley to a 16-11 record and quarterfinals of the conference playoffs. This past season, Cowley finished NJCAA national runner-up with a 41-1 record, a KJCCC conference championship, a Plains A District championship, and ranked as high as No. 1 in the national rankings. Gream has accumulated a record of 186-41 in his first six seasons at Cowley.
Gream came to Cowley College, having served six seasons as head coach at Southern Arkansas University (NCAA DII). There he raised the bar of expectations, performance, and confidence within the program. After taking over the program in 2010, Gream guided the program to a record of 111-87 (more wins than the previous nine years combined). In just his first season at SAU (2010), Gream orchestrated one of the greatest turnaround seasons in NCAA Division II history as his team won 19 more matches than the previous year and ended with a 20-12 record. It was the school’s first 20- win season since 2003.
In his third season in 2012, Gream enjoyed his most successful year at SAU as the Lady Muleriders posted a 23-12 overall record. The 23-12 mark that season was also the second-best team record for SAU since the program joined the NCAA Division II ranks.
In each of his first four seasons at the helm, Gream posted a winning season, marking the first time that the SAU volleyball program has had four consecutive winning seasons since the mid-‘90s. Additionally, Gream led the program to their first-ever post-season play as he led the Lady Muleriders to five-consecutive Great American Conference (GAC) Volleyball Championship Tournament appearances.
In their first two trips to the GAC Tournament (2011 and 2012), Gream and his Lady Muleriders would win their opening game to advance to the semi-finals. Those two conference tournament wins, under Gream’s tutelage, are the first for SAU since they joined NCAA Division II in 1995. In 2015, Gream led the team to their first conference championship match in program history since joining the NCAA DII level.
Before coming to SAU, Gream spent seven total years coaching at his alma mater, Union University (two years as an assistant and five years as head coach). During his time as head coach, Union posted a record of 121-51 (.700 winning percentage), had four seasons of over 25 wins, won one conference championship, made two NAIA Region XI Tournaments (NAIA Regional tournaments were discontinued in 2007), made one NAIA National Tournament appearance, and received numerous national rankings.
As an assistant coach at Union University, Gream helped start the program in 1998. In his two seasons as assistant coach, the program had a 78-18 record, won a conference regular-season championship, won a conference tournament championship, two regional tournament berths, two NCCAA national tournaments, and two NCCAA regional championships.
After graduating from Union University with a Bachelor of Science degree in History, Gream spent five years as volleyball coach at his high school alma mater, North Pemiscot High School in Wardell, Missouri.
In August 2004, Gream completed his Master of Education degree from Union University. Gream, a native of Portageville, Missouri, has worked with local clubs and leagues in various communities to develop new volleyball programs for young kids and, in doing so, has increased the participation and quality of volleyball in these areas. Each summer from 2005-2009 & 2017, Gream has led a group of high school volleyball players to Hawaii for a series of matches with players from across the United States. He also served as a volleyball club coach and director of the Jackson Juniors Volleyball Club and club coach for TC Elite.
Gream is a member of the AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association), where he has served on numerous national and regional committees. In December 2009, Gream was honored by the AVCA as part of their Victory Club. This honor was given in recognition of his success as a college head coach in his first five seasons. He was again honored by the AVCA in December 2018, and December 2021 in recognition of his 300th and 400th career wins in his college coaching career. His overall head coaching record is 418-179.