SUNY New Paltz Athletics

Alma Mater: University of Bucharest
Season as Head Coach: 18th (including 2023)
Record at New Paltz: 383-163 (.701)
UVC Tournament Appearances: 11 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022)
UVC Championships: 3 (2014, 2016, 2019)
UVC Coach of the Year: 2 (2016, 2022)
AVCA Coach of the Year: 2 (2014, 2016)
CaptainU Coach of the Year: 1 (2014)
NECVA Tournament Appearances: 4 (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 6 (2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2022)
NCAA Division III National Championships: 2 (2016, 2019)

Radu Petrus, the 2014 and 2016 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year and the 2014 CaptainU Division III Men's Volleyball College Coach of the Year, enters his 18th season as the head men's volleyball coach at the State University of New York at New Paltz ahead of the 2025 season. One of the top coaches in Division III, Petrus led the Hawks to four-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances between 2014 and 2017, including their first championship title in the 2016 campaign and its second national title in 2019.

Under his direction, New Paltz has won three United Volleyball Conference (UVC) championships (2014, 2016 and 2019), has qualified for the NCAA Tournament six times (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022) and won two NCAA Division III Championship titles (2016 and 2019). Furthermore, the Hawks have made four appearances in the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) Tournament (2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011) and 11 appearances in the UVC Tournament (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 & 2022). Across 15 years at the controls, he has compiled a record of 325-134.

A mark of the success within his program, he has twice had a student-athlete named the AVCA NCAA Division III Newcomer of the Year, one student-athlete named AVCA NCAA Division III National Player of the Year and two students named UVC Player of the Year, and he has had eight different student-athletes combine for 15 All-America honors. Petrus has placed 29 student-athletes on All-Conference teams and has coached a conference Rookie of the Year on four occasions. In addition, five of his student-athletes have been tabbed as All-UVC Honorable Mention honorees.

Petrus led the Hawks to their second NCAA Division III National Championship in four years in 2019, while also claiming the program's third UVC Championship. The team finished 28-7 overall and 8-1 in conference play, while finishing the year as the nations No. 1 ranked team after hosting the NCAA Division III trophy. He coached five of his players to All-UVC honors and had two AVCA All-American recipients in first-team selection Nick Smith and second-team selection Matthew Grace. 

The 2018 campaign saw less success for the Hawks compared to the previous years. Petrus led the team to a 19-8 record (7-2 UVC), and a semifinals appearance in the UVC tournament. There, the team lost to eventual NCAA Tournament semifinalists Vassar, 3-1. 

Despite falling in the UVC Championship final to Vassar, the Hawks (27-9, 5-3 UVC) managed to snag an at-large bid into the 2017 NCAA Tournament for their fourth-consecutive appearance. After squeezing past Kean, 3-2, in the first round, the Hawks reached the championship round for the second time by knocking off Vassar in straight sets in their quarterfinal rematch and taking down Wentworth, 3-1, in the semifinals to face Springfield in another championship showdown. Although the Hawks managed to take the first set over the Pride, Springfield would ultimately take home the national crown as the Hawks fell, 3-1.

New Paltz made history in 2016 as the Hawks (33-2, 8-0 UVC) brought home their first NCAA Championship title. The Hawks defeated the Stevens Institute of Technology, 3-0, in the UVC Tournament to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, marking their third appearance. New Paltz, which defeated the Wentworth Institute of Technology, 3-1, in the quarterfinals, won their semifinal rematch against Stevens, 3-1, for its first championship match appearance, setting the stage for a four-set match up with Springfield College. After dropping the third set to the Pride, the Hawks came back from an 18-14 deficit in the fourth frame to clinch New Paltz's first national title. The Hawks went undefeated against a Division III program and held the No. 1 ranking in the AVCA Top-15 Coaches Poll for six-consecutive weeks.

The Hawks made the semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row in 2015, going 27-6 overall (7-1 UVC). New Paltz, which fell to the Stevens Institute of Technology, 3-1, in the championship match of the UVC Tournament, eased past Kean University, 3-1, in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals after earning an at-large bid into the tournament. That set the stage for an epic five-set match with host Stevens in the semifinal round, but the eventual national champion Ducks pulled out a 15-13 triumph in the fifth set to emerge victorious.

2014 marked the program's most successful season in nearly three decades, as the Hawks went 28-4 overall (8-2 UVC), won their first first-ever UVC title and qualified for their first-ever NCAA Tournament. Spending the entirety of the year ranked among the top five in the AVCA Top-15 Coaches' Poll, the Hawks had numerous signature moments throughout the year, including wins over then-No. 1 Rivier University and then-No. 2 Springfield College in the same day (Feb. 14, 2014) on Springfield's home court. New Paltz earned the UVC's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, earned a bye through the first round and defeated the Stevens Institute of Technology in the quarterfinals. Facing Juniata College on its home floor, the Hawks fell by a 3-1 final in the semifinal round.

Petrus coached the Hawks to what was then their best year under his leadership in 2013, finishing with a 27-6 overall record and an 8-3 mark in the UVC. The Hawks defeated 10 top-15 opponents, including a straight-set victory over No. 1 Nazareth College on March 30, 2013. The Hawks reached the semifinals of the 2013 UVC Championship Tournament before being eliminated by Stevens, 3-2, in a match that was decided in the final points.

New Paltz spent another year well above the .500 mark in 2012, as the Hawks went 19-11 and qualified for the 2012 UVC Tournament. The Hawks' biggest win during the campaign came on Feb. 22, 2012, when they topped then-No. 8 Stevens in five sets at the Hawk Center.

Competing in the inaugural year of the UVC in 2011, the Hawks compiled an overall record of 20-13 and a conference mark of 3-6. Despite being seeded seventh in the 2011 UVC Tournament, New Paltz won in five sets against second-seeded Medaille College and third-seeded Stevens to reach the conference finals. Pitted against top-seeded Nazareth College, the Hawks saw a 2-0 lead evaporate, losing a heartbreaker in five sets.

The Hawks have produced two NCAA Division III statistical champions under Petrus’ direction. Stross concluded the 2010 campaign ranked first in hitting percentage, while Pedro Medina finished the 2008 season ranked first in digs. New Paltz has finished as Division III's top team in kills per set (2014), assists per set (2013 and 2014) and winning percentage (2014) under his stewardship.

Prior to his arrival at New Paltz, Petrus spent four years as the first assistant volleyball coach at Long Island University (LIU). In 2006, LIU finished with a 26-14 record and became the first volleyball team in Northeast Conference history to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In 2004-05, LIU recorded the first conference title in the program’s 12 year history with an overall record of 32-7. 

Petrus spent four years as the head men’s volleyball coach of the Romanian Professional Second League. During this time, the team placed third and fourth in the league and promoted three players onto the Romanian Professional First League.

Petrus has coached at the high school level for 18 years in Oradea, Romania. He also organized and developed the Romanian Beach Volleyball Tournament at the Sports Club Nando.

For 10 years, Petrus was a player for the Romanian Professional First League where he helped lead his team to win and place among the league's top six.

Petrus, a native of the Transylvania region of Romania, earned his bachelor's degree in physical education and sport from the University of Bucharest and his Master of Science from Long Island University in 2010.

Contact Radu Petrus at ext. 3916 or petrusr@newpaltz.edu.