St. Mary's College of Maryland Director of Athletics and Recreation Scott Devine announced Tuesday morning the resignation of head volleyball coach Jeremy Sands. Sands' resignation is effective immediately as he accepted the position of assistant coach at NCAA Division I U.S. Naval Academy.

"It is with mixed emotions that I accept Coach Sands' resignation. I am very happy for Jeremy and his family for the opportunity he has at Navy. However, he has been an incredible colleague and valued member of our staff," stated Devine.

"He will be missed by our volleyball student-athletes and everyone he worked with here at St. Mary's College. Jeremy brought a level of professionalism and collegiality to the workplace. Not only did he help elevate our highly competitive volleyball program but he also made our department better. We all wish Jeremy nothing but the best."

Sands spent two seasons at the helm of the Seahawk volleyball program, guiding St. Mary's to back-to-back appearances in the semifinals of the Capital Athletic Conference Volleyball Championship Tournament. The team experienced two straight 17-win seasons under Sands' leadership for a two-year record of 34-23 (10-8 CAC).

Sands expressed, "It absolutely has been a phenomenal experience to be a part of the Seahawk family. It was a difficult decision to make and it was hard to step away from all the great work we have been doing with this program. St. Mary's has been so good to me and my family and I will be ever grateful for the opportunity to lead around such great people."

"The opportunity to work at the Naval Academy was one that I couldn't pass up because it puts me closer to home with my family, I get to work with one of the greatest coaches of all-time in Larry Bock, and it truly is an honor and privilege to serve at one of our nation's service academies."

"I want to thank all the Seahawk volleyball players, alumni, parents, and supporters who welcomed me to the program and treated me like family. I especially want to thank Scott Devine for giving me the opportunity to lead this team and the support of his incredible staff," continued Sands.

An active adult USA Volleyball and outdoor player, the Pittstown, Pa. native is an active member of the USA Volleyball community and has completed Level I, Level II, and Level III of the USA Volleyball Coaching Accreditation Program as well as the Volleyball Conditioning Course. He also serves an active role in the USA Volleyball High Performance program.

Sands graduated from King's College in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. He then completed the Executive Master's Program for Organizational Development and Change Leadership at Columbia University, Teacher's College in the spring of 2012. This past December (2015), Sands earned his MBA from the University of Maryland.

Devine expressed, "As we turn our attention to the search for our next head volleyball coach, I believe this will be viewed as a highly desirable position in the volleyball coaching community. The opportunity to take over a winning program in the highly competitive Capital Athletic Conference will attract a strong applicant pool."

A national search for the next St. Mary's head volleyball coach will begin immediately.