Beginning his 18th season at Penn State in 2024-25, associate Head Coach Colin McMillan continues to be an invaluable asset to the Penn State men's volleyball program as one of the top volleyball minds in the sport. He is involved in all aspects of the program, including video analysis, training the middle hitters and defensive strategy.
McMillan was promoted to associate head coach during the summer of 2016 following nine years as an assistant coach for Mark Pavlik and the Nittany Lions. He arrived in fall 2007, prior to the program winning its 2008 National Championship, and has contributed to 12 EIVA titles, including the most recent two in 2023 and 2024, and nine trips to the NCAA Final Four.
McMillan has mentored some of the best middle blockers in the nation recently as Toby Ezeonu and Owen Rose have combined for five All-America honors over the past three seasons. Ezeonu was a first-team honoree as a junior in 2023 and made the second team in 2024. He twice led the nation in hitting percentage for a full season.
One of the program's all-time greats, middle hitter Max Holt, played his final two seasons at Penn State with McMillan on staff. Holt was a first-team All-American both of those seasons and went on to be a three-time Olympian with Team USA. He helped USA win a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
A former Ohio State standout (1997-2000), McMillan trained within the United States National pipeline and competed internationally for various clubs around the world. A 6-11 middle hitter, McMillan was a member of the 2001 United States team that captured the gold medal at the World University Games in Beijing, China, and also was a member of the U.S. World League team in 2001. From 2000 to 2005, he was the starting middle hitter for the Besiktas Volleyball Club in Istanbul, Turkey, and also played for Castelo da Maia in Portugal, Marseille 13PVB in France, and Los Rebeldes de Moca in Puerto Rico, winning the Superior League Championship in 2000.
McMillan has also coached internationally with USA Volleyball. Most recently, he served as an assistant for the USA Volleyball U19 Team at the FIVB World Championships in the summer of 2019. He assisted the Junior Men's National Team in winning the NORCECA qualifying tournament in Gatineau, Canada, in 2010. McMillan was an assistant coach for the U.S. Junior National Team which finished fourth in the 2011 World Junior Championships in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
A four-time All-MIVA selection and a four-year scholar athlete at Ohio State, McMillan was named to the 2000 National Collegiate Championship All-Tournament Team. He led the Buckeyes to a national runner-up title that year and finished among the top five in hitting percentage all four years. He is the career record holder at OSU in hitting percentage (.481), block assists (473) and total blocks (548) and sits eighth in aces (59), second in blocks per game (1.56) and seventh in kills (1,206). During McMillan's tenure, the Buckeyes accumulated a 90-21 overall record with three first-places finishes in the MIVA.
A graduate assistant coach for Ohio State during the 2003 season, McMillan has served as a club coach for several programs, including the Excel Volleyball Club 18 boys program in Glenview, Illinois. He guided the Next Level 16 boys program in Franklin, Wisconsin, in 2005 and 2006 and coached and supervised the Stellar Sports LLC 15 girls club team in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with duties including practice and match coaching as well as travel and on-site supervision.
McMillan graduated from Ohio State in 2000 with a double major in international business and marketing and has worked outside of the volleyball community with such corporations as DePuy Orthopedics and Cosentino North America.
McMillan was promoted to associate head coach during the summer of 2016 following nine years as an assistant coach for Mark Pavlik and the Nittany Lions. He arrived in fall 2007, prior to the program winning its 2008 National Championship, and has contributed to 12 EIVA titles, including the most recent two in 2023 and 2024, and nine trips to the NCAA Final Four.
McMillan has mentored some of the best middle blockers in the nation recently as Toby Ezeonu and Owen Rose have combined for five All-America honors over the past three seasons. Ezeonu was a first-team honoree as a junior in 2023 and made the second team in 2024. He twice led the nation in hitting percentage for a full season.
One of the program's all-time greats, middle hitter Max Holt, played his final two seasons at Penn State with McMillan on staff. Holt was a first-team All-American both of those seasons and went on to be a three-time Olympian with Team USA. He helped USA win a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
A former Ohio State standout (1997-2000), McMillan trained within the United States National pipeline and competed internationally for various clubs around the world. A 6-11 middle hitter, McMillan was a member of the 2001 United States team that captured the gold medal at the World University Games in Beijing, China, and also was a member of the U.S. World League team in 2001. From 2000 to 2005, he was the starting middle hitter for the Besiktas Volleyball Club in Istanbul, Turkey, and also played for Castelo da Maia in Portugal, Marseille 13PVB in France, and Los Rebeldes de Moca in Puerto Rico, winning the Superior League Championship in 2000.
McMillan has also coached internationally with USA Volleyball. Most recently, he served as an assistant for the USA Volleyball U19 Team at the FIVB World Championships in the summer of 2019. He assisted the Junior Men's National Team in winning the NORCECA qualifying tournament in Gatineau, Canada, in 2010. McMillan was an assistant coach for the U.S. Junior National Team which finished fourth in the 2011 World Junior Championships in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.
A four-time All-MIVA selection and a four-year scholar athlete at Ohio State, McMillan was named to the 2000 National Collegiate Championship All-Tournament Team. He led the Buckeyes to a national runner-up title that year and finished among the top five in hitting percentage all four years. He is the career record holder at OSU in hitting percentage (.481), block assists (473) and total blocks (548) and sits eighth in aces (59), second in blocks per game (1.56) and seventh in kills (1,206). During McMillan's tenure, the Buckeyes accumulated a 90-21 overall record with three first-places finishes in the MIVA.
A graduate assistant coach for Ohio State during the 2003 season, McMillan has served as a club coach for several programs, including the Excel Volleyball Club 18 boys program in Glenview, Illinois. He guided the Next Level 16 boys program in Franklin, Wisconsin, in 2005 and 2006 and coached and supervised the Stellar Sports LLC 15 girls club team in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with duties including practice and match coaching as well as travel and on-site supervision.
McMillan graduated from Ohio State in 2000 with a double major in international business and marketing and has worked outside of the volleyball community with such corporations as DePuy Orthopedics and Cosentino North America.