John Carroll University Athletics

For the past 23 seasons, Kerry Volkmann has served as a defensive backs coach for the John Carroll football team, the longest tenure of any current Blue Streak assistant. He has been part of two OAC championship efforts (1989 and 1994) and three NCAA playoff appearances (1989, 1997 and 2002) in his tenure at the post.

Specifically in charge of the cornerbacks, Volkmann has had a number of athletes achieve conference and national, including 2003 second team Academic All-American Sonny Fanelli.

As an athlete at John Carroll, Volkmann was a standout in both wrestling and football. A member of the JCU Athletic Hall of Fame, he played defensive back for the Blue Streak football team along with being named team captain in his senior year for both football and wrestling. He was part of four conference champion wrestling teams as well as the 1969 Presidents Athletic Conference title winning football team.

When he graduated from JCU in 1971, Volkmann began his coaching career as the first head wrestling coach for Chanel High School in Cleveland. From there, Volkmann assumed head coaching reigns with Mentor Lake Catholic High School in 1978. In seven seasons with the Cougars wrestling program, Volkmann posted a 82-16-5 record.

Volkmann joined Tony DeCarlo's football coaching staff in 1987, and has been the only constant during John Carroll's current stretch of 21 consecutive non-losing seasons. He also serves as JCU's head wrestling coach.