Tim Gaiser
Tim Gaiser

Bio

Tim Gaiser will enter his third season as the head coach of the Mitchell College women’s volleyball team in the fall of 2023.

Gaiser returned to New London in 2023, where he served as the head coach of the Mitchell College women’s volleyball team from 2013-2014. Most recently he served as faculty member, instructor, and volleyball head coach at the United States Merchant Marine Academy from 2016-2021.

During his first season back with the Mariners, Gaiser guided the team to a 7-18 record, which included a 5-10 mark in conference play during the program's inaugural season in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). Gaiser coached one player who earned All-Conference second team honors, while the team as a whole earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award. Additionally, six members of the women's volleyball team were named to the Academic All-Conference team.

During the 2024–25 season, Gaiser led Mitchell to continued growth in its second year in the GNAC. The Mariners finished with a 9–17 overall record and 6–9 conference mark. The team once again secured the AVCA Team Academic Award, while seven student-athletes were recognized on the GNAC Academic All-Conference list and three were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team.

During his tenure in Kings Point, N.Y., Gaiser led the volleyball program to a conference record of 48-5 (.906), and overall record of 96-35 (.733) in five seasons and six years as head coach. In his six seasons with the Mariners, his team won the Skyline Conference two times (2017, 2021) and received a berth in both times to the NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball Tournaments. As a result of his success, Gaiser was named Coach of the Year for women’s volleyball in the Skyline Conference in 2018.

Gaiser has recruited and coached ten First Team and six Second Team All-Conference players, two Skyline Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Players, two Conference Rookies of the Year, two ECAC Rookies of the Year, two AVCA Region Rookies of the Year, an AVCA All-Region 1st Team Selection, and an AVCA All-American Selection.

Prior to arriving at the United States Merchant Mariner Academy, Gaiser served as an assistant women’s volleyball coach at Southern Connecticut State University from 2014-2016. Other coaching stops throughout his 20+ year career include Lyman Hall High School, Purchase College, Western Connecticut State University, Masuk High School, the University of Wisconsin- Parkside, Quinnipiac College, and Guilford High School.

Gaiser also has extensive experience as a volleyball official, serving as a member of the Professional Association of Volleyball Officials for a 23-year period in which he officiated games at the Division I, II, and III level.

A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Gaiser has earned both Associate and Bachelor's degrees from Charter Oak State College in New Britain, Conn., and completed his Master's degree in Sport Management from Southern New Hampshire University in 2013.

 

Meet The Coach
Vinh Nguyen

Vinh Nguyen was named the next head coach of the Mitchell College women’s volleyball team in March 2026.

Nguyen arrives in New London following a seven-year tenure as head coach at the University of Hartford from 2018–25, where he guided the program to multiple individual accolades and sustained success both on and off the court. Under his leadership, Hartford produced a pair of conference Players of the Year, two All-Americans, a Rookie of the Year, and eight all-conference selections, along with 11 all-academic honorees. He also served on the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) East Region Selection Committee and the AVCA Division I Head Coaches Committee.

Prior to his time at Hartford, Nguyen spent three seasons as associate head coach at the University of North Texas, where he played a key role in a Conference USA championship season in 2017 that saw the team post a 29–3 record. In that role, he served as recruiting coordinator and helped develop multiple award-winning players, including a two-time conference Player of the Year and All-American.

Nguyen also served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at California State University, Fullerton, helping the program capture the Big West Conference title in 2010.

His extensive coaching background includes experience at the international level as a staff member with the USA Men’s Olympic Team from 2005–07, where he assisted with preparation for major international competitions, including the World League and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

At the collegiate level, Nguyen previously spent time at Cal Poly Pomona, where he contributed to a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championship team that finished 25–2 while helping develop multiple All-Americans and all-conference performers.

In addition to his collegiate and international experience, Nguyen founded and directed the Top Gun Volleyball Academy for 20 years, training more than 3,000 athletes and helping develop players who went on to compete at all levels of collegiate volleyball, including the Olympic stage.

Nguyen began his coaching career at the high school level in California and also served as an adjunct professor of kinesiology at Cal Poly Pomona. He earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Cal Poly Pomona in 2000.

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