Brian Rushmer has been named the new head men's volleyball coach at Lakeland University, Director of Athletics April Arvan has announced.

Rushmer comes to Lakeland after spending the past four years as an assistant at Marian University just down the road in Fond du Lac and with 16 years of experience in all coaching volleyball. He replaces Ryan Schopf, who led the Muskies men's program the last four years but stepped down in April to concentrate on his duties as head coach of Lakeland's women's volleyball program.

Rushmer was an assistant coach with both the men's and women's volleyball programs at Marian, the Muskies' Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference rival. He assisted with the men's team since 2015, joining just before the program's first varsity season, and also assisted Sarah (Angelos) Frings with the Sabres women's volleyball team this past year.

Rushmer assisted head coach Tyler Frings in making Marian's men's team competitive immediately, with the Sabres winning nine matches in their first season and improving to 13 wins two years later. This past season, Marian finished fifth in the NACC and as the fourth seed in the NACC Tournament hosted a conference tourney match for the first time.

"I am extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to come to Lakeland University," said Rushmer. "I very much appreciate the chance to work with Ryan Schopf and to build upon the awesome foundation he has put in place over the last four years. I am also extremely grateful to my good friends Tyler & Sarah Frings and Marian University for helping me grow as a collegiate coach so that I am prepared to excel with the amazing opportunity in front of me at Lakeland University."

Rushmer is a native of Wauwatosa, Wis., and has coached volleyball at a host of different levels, from college and high schools to clubs and recreation and both indoor and on sand. Notably, he has coached the Germantown High School boys volleyball varsity team since 2006, starting the program from scratch and making it to state six times and winning a WIAA state championship in 2018.

He also has been a coach with the Milwaukee Volleyball Club since 2010, and has directed camps and programs for the Germantown Parks and Recreation Department since 2007. He also coaches with the sand volleyball program with the Ozaukee Volleyball Club, leading summer camps.