John Chiodini took over the Alma College volleyball program in 1981 and won three MIAA Championships in his first four years. Coach Chiodini and his three championship teams are entering the Alma College Hall of Fame as part of the Induction Class of 2007 in honor of their remarkable run in the early 1980s.
Coach Chiodini joined the Alma College Athletic Department in 1981 after years of teaching and coaching at Alma High School. In 1982, he led the Scots to a 19-4 overall record and a 10-2 record in conference. Going into the last game of the season, the Scots were one game behind Calvin in the conference standings and beat them to become co-MIAA Champs. Chiodini's 1983 team finished with a 24-10 overall record and won another MIAA Championship, going 11-1 in the conference. The team's 24 overall wins and 11 conference wins both set school records. During that season the Scots were ranked 15th nationally, the highest ranking for any male or female team in memory. They were the first women's team to be ranked nationally. The 1984 team finished 23-8 overall with an 11-1 conference record, won its third straight MIAA Championship and finished its incredible three-year 32-4 run through the MIAA.
Coach Chiodini grew up on the east side of Detroit and earned his B.S. from Eastern Michigan and went on to earn an M.A. from Wayne State University. He spent time teaching in Detroit, Greenville and Alma at the high school level before coming to Alma College and has spent 30 years of his life as a volleyball coach at one level or another.
John Chiodini and his wife Rebecca reside in Mt. Pleasant. They have three sons: Victor, Matthew and Michael. They also have three grandchildren: Hilly, Gabriella and Jack.
Coach Chiodini spent a total of 13 years coaching at Alma College and the impact he made on the players he coached would, by itself, be enough to warrant him being inducted into the Alma College Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2007.
