Oakland University Athletics

Rob Beam enters his 15th season at the helm of the Oakland volleyball program and has guided the Golden Grizzlies' program to one of the top teams in the Horizon League, with aspirations for even higher goals for the program.

Most recently, Beam helped the Golden Grizzlies to a 7-9 record in a shortened 2021 winter season due to COVID-19. Senior libero Lindsay Wightman thrived under Beam's counsel, as she became the first player in program history to tab AVCA All-Region First Team honors. On the season, she ranked second in the country in digs per set (6.31) and 30th in total digs (366). Her digs per set broke a school record previously held by Lauren Duquette. Senior middle hitter Jamie Walling continued her monumental career by joining Wightman on the Horizon League Second Team. Freshman outside hitter Patti Cesarini grabbed a spot on the HL All-Freshman Team to round out Golden Grizzlies with all-conference accolades. 

Once again, OU excelled in the classroom under Beam in 2021, as Walling and junior libero Katelyn Johnson were named to the Horizon League All-Academic Team. Oakland also earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2020-21 academic year. 

Beam guided Oakland to an 8-8 mark in Horizon League play and an overall record of 15-14 in 2019. Walling and Wightman were named Honorable Mention All-League, while Brittany Welch was named to the All-Freshman team. The 2019 campaign saw Beam record his 200th-career win with the Golden Grizzlies, which came at home against IUPUI. Academic excellence continued last season, as Oakland tabbed the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2019-20 academic year, and Walling was named to the Horizon League All-Academic Team.

The 2018 season saw his players reach new heights individually, as Walling and Krysteena Davis were named to the all-conference team, while Walling and Aleksandra Malek earned all-academic honors from the league. Beam also coached Davis to breaking the school's all-time career blocks record, a milestone that has been broken in back-to-back seasons by Beam's student-athletes.

In 2017, the Golden Grizzlies went 12-4 in league play, finishing second. It marked the fifth time Beam has led a team to 12 league wins, which is the most in program history in the Division I era. He also coached the program's first-ever Division I league player of the Year in Darien Bandel, who was one of the nation's top offensive players. That year, Bandel set the single-season school record in kills per set (4.31) and tallied 491 total kills, which is the second-most in a single season in Oakland history. Nationally, she ranked 22nd in the NCAA in kills per set (4.31), 27th in total kills (491), 46th in attacks per set (11.22), 47th in total attacks (1,279), 31st in points (545), and 24th in points per set (4.78).

Also, in 2017, Beam coached one of the all-time greats in Sammy Condon to finish with one of the most historic careers in Golden Grizzlies history. Condon became the first player in Oakland history to earn all-league honors every season of her career and etched her name as Oakland's all-time leader in block assists (404) and total blocks (432). On top of that, she was one of 30 NCAA women's volleyball student-athletes selected as a candidate for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award, a first for one of Beam's players. 

Oakland's 2016 campaign saw multiple records broken, such as single-season service aces (204), block assists (512), and team blocks (295). The Golden Grizzlies ranked eighth in the NCAA in service aces and 17th in aces per set (1.63). Oakland led the Horizon League in both categories as well. Beam helped Melissa Deatsch break a total of six school records during her final year, three career and three-season records, while Krysteena Davis also broke two single-season school records in block assists (133) and total blocks (143). He also coached Oakland to the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament for the third time in four years.

In 2015, Beam coached the Golden Grizzlies to a second-place finish in the Horizon League with a 12-4 mark, 18-13 overall, including going a perfect 8-0 on the road during conference play. He coached his first Setter of the Year in Ciara Schultz, who broke the school's career and season assists records. Oakland earned four all-league selections, the most selections in a single-season in program history, including the first-ever three-time honoree in Cassie Pelloni. Amanda Baker also broke the school's career total blocks and block assist record.

The 2014 season marked a banner year for Beam's squad, as the Golden Grizzlies rattled off multiple firsts, beginning with the team's victory over defending SEC champion Missouri and ending with the team's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Beam and the Golden Grizzlies clipped off their longest winning streak in team Division I history (10 matches) and captured both the Horizon League regular season and tournament titles, both first-ever accomplishments in team Division I history. The team's two conference tournament victories were also firsts for the Golden Grizzlies.
Along the way, Beam was named the 2014 Horizon League Coach of the Year, earning the award for the first time in team records.

Oakland's climb to the top of the Horizon League reaches back to the program's strides in the Summit League under Beam's watch. After earning the program's first-ever conference tournament appearance in 2011, Beam has led Oakland to postseason play each consecutive season. The team's first-place finish in 2014 in the regular season also brought postseason play to the O'rena for the first time in team history.

Statistically, the Golden Grizzlies have been among the national leaders in various categories under Beam's guidance. In 2016, Oakland ranked eighth in the NCAA in service aces (204) and 17th in aces per set (1.63). Both are the highest ranks in program history. In 2014, Oakland ranked 26th nationally in service aces (180) and 36th in aces per set (1.5). From 2010-12, the Golden Grizzlies finished in the top 40 in NCAA Division I in digs per set, including ranking third nationally in 2010.

The Golden Grizzlies have received significant individual commendations during Beam's tenure as well. Along with two conference Defensive Players of the Year (Taylor Humm, 2014; Brittany Dunn, 2010), Setter of the Year (Ciara Schultz, 2015), and a AVCA All-Region honoree (Lindsay Wightman), Beam has coached 13 First Team All-League performers and 29 all-conference honorees in 14 seasons. All six of Oakland's all-tournament team performers have been under Beam's watch, including 2014 Horizon League Tournament MVP, Sammy Condon.

Oakland's record book has been re-written with the success of Beam's squads. Of Oakland's 14 team season statistical categories, 10 have been set since his arrival, including six during the 2014 season. Individually, Oakland's record holders in career kills (Meghan Bray, 1,578), career and season assists (Ciara Schultz, 3,725 and 1,279), career blocks (Amanda Baker, 403), career block assists (Amanda Baker, 361), career service aces (Melissa Deatsch, 200), season digs per set (Lindsay Wightman, 6.31), season service aces (Melissa Deatsch, 74), career aces per set (Melissa Deatsch, 0.59) sets played (Melissa Deatsch, 476), and season digs (Alli Kirk, 622) have shown brightly under Beam's watch.

The program has also thrived academically since his arrival. Beam led the team to a marked improvement in his first year, surpassing the 3.0-grade point average mark. In 2009-10, the Golden Grizzlies posted better than a 3.3 cumulative GPA earned a first-ever American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award. Since then, the Golden Grizzlies have earned nine AVCA Team Academic Awards, including six consecutively.

Before coming to Oakland, Beam spent two years at Illinois State (2005 and 2006 seasons) and five years at Wright State (2000-2004 seasons) as an assistant coach for both programs, with two seasons as an associate head coach for Wright State. Beam also was an assistant for one season at Quincy University for both their men's and women's volleyball programs.

A native of Sycamore, Ill., and a 1992 Glenbrook South (Ill.) High School graduate Beam was the 1996 Clarke College Athlete of the Year while serving as captain of the volleyball team. While completing his bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1996, Beam coached high school volleyball at Dubuque (Iowa) Senior High School.

Beam lives in Orion Township with his wife, Maria, who is also a part of the Oakland University family as the Program Director of the university's Social Work program, and their son, Connor, and daughter, Kennedy.