Manhattan University expands athletic program with new Division 1 sports teams

Manhattan University is in the mood for big changes. On top of a name change, the school will also introduce three new Division 1 sports to their legacy athletic program. 

Currently, Manhattan University is home to 19 Division 1 sports teams including baseball, basketball, softball, soccer, rugby, tennis and lacrosse. This fall, the university will be adding men’s volleyball, women’s golf, and women’s acrobatics and tumbling teams. 

Keith Prokop is currently the head coach of the men’s golf team and will take over as the head coach of the women’s team as well. Prokop said this will be his second time starting a women’s program from the ground up and he’s excited to be able to do it again. 

After completing his own degree at Dominican University, Prokop became the head coach for the men’s and women’s golf teams with near immediate results. Upon his arrival, the team was ranked 203 in the nation, fourth to last. But after two years under his leadership, the team found itself winning regionals and competing at the national championships. 

“It’s an honor to have them think so highly of me to be able to start this woman’s program and be able to tell these women’s stories. This is just page one,” Prokop said. 

Prokop said life led him to his own professional career, but now he’s solely focused on coaching. He says watching his student athletes grow every year is the best part, and he’s looking forward to being able to witness that growth for the women coming in.

Already working with the men’s golf team has given him a strong foundation he believes will benefit the incoming team, and he said he’s looking forward to watching how the program builds out. 

In addition to the golf team, a men’s volleyball team will be gracing the courts at Manhattan University. 

The funding for the volleyball team comes from First Point Volleyball Foundation, which is dedicated to expanding the opportunities for men looking to play volleyball.

Wade Garard, First Point president, said the foundation began after he called friend John Speraw, inquisitive on the matter of men’s volleyball teams and why there seemed to be very few. At the time, Garard’s daughter was on a volleyball team and he saw the number of higher-level teams available to her, while men were offered few and far between.

Garard and Speraw decided to change this, so they began the foundation in the hopes of providing opportunities for boys in high school, college, and boys from communities of color or underrepresented communities. 

“When we first started, there were only 24 Division 1 colleges that sponsored men’s volleyball, and Manhattan will now be the 31st Division 1 to start,” Garard said. 

The foundation provided the university with a grant that will not only help fund the team but also assist in providing scholarships for men who may not otherwise afford the opportunity to attend Manhattan University.

Garard said he is excited to see the growth of another Division 1 program, especially at a school like Manhattan, “which has a storied athletic tradition.” 

Prokop said part of his excitement stems from the support system in place at Manhattan: With the school, alumni and donors backing the new teams, he’s certain they won’t fail.