Brother Rice High School is thrilled to announce the addition of men’s volleyball to its athletic program, officially launching in spring 2026. This dynamic new team will become the Warriors’ 14th varsity sport, competing under the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA).
Athletic Director Jeff Calcaterra proudly announced that Andrew Thompson has been named Head Coach and will lead the effort to build this exciting new program from the ground up.
“The athletic department is excited to add men’s volleyball to our program,” said Calcaterra. “It is an exciting, fast-paced athletic sport. The expectations at Brother Rice are to become a premier volleyball program in the state of Michigan and add championships alongside our other programs.”
“In order to build a program from scratch, we felt it was imperative that we find the right person to lead us. We are honored that Coach Thompson has agreed to take on this challenge. He has the vision and fierce desire to build something great at Brother Rice. We look forward to supporting him in this mission,” Calcaterra added.
A 2007 graduate of Oakland University with a degree in Accounting, Thompson has spent nearly two decades immersed in the sport. The son of a longtime volleyball coach, he began coaching early in life and has built an impressive résumé on the sidelines.
Since 2009, he has served as Assistant Volleyball Coach at Mercy High School, helping guide the team to two MHSAA Division 1 State Championships (2019, 2023) and six Final Four appearances. Under his coaching, Mercy developed elite-level athletes, including two Gatorade National Players of the Year (Jess Mruzik, 2019; Campbell Flynn, 2023) and four Miss Volleyball winners. He has also been active in junior club volleyball since 2007, further shaping young athletes across the region.
Before coaching, Thompson played club volleyball at Michigan State University, where his love of the game deepened and continues to drive his coaching philosophy today.
Off the court, Andrew is a proud dad to Maxwell (10), Allie (10), and Meredith (8), all of whom share his competitive spirit. When he’s not in the gym, you can find him cheering on his kids at basketball games or cheer competitions.
Brother Rice looks forward to launching this new sport under Coach Thompson’s leadership, continuing our proud tradition of Championship Athletics.
Stay tuned for tryout details and the spring 2026 season schedule — the era of Warrior volleyball is just getting started!