Ben Crusinberry was at a crossroads during his sophomore year at Hunter College in New York.
He was in the middle of his four-year run as a starter for the varsity men’s volleyball team, a time when he struggled academically.
Crusinberry, Iowa City West's new volleyball coach, had a choice to make: get his grades in order or lose the sport that he’s loved since grade school.
“My coach brought me in and had a very truthful talk with me and said, ’If you don’t change how things are going right now in your life, you’re not going to graduate college, you’re not going to play any more volleyball. Is that really what you want?’”Crusinberry said.
It was a reality check.
Crusinberry knew he had more to offer. So, the Lincoln, Neb., native made the trip back home and invested more time completing online classes. From nearly quitting school to earning first-team All-Conference honors in his last three seasons at Hunter College, he turned his grades completely around.
The life-altering conversation did more than motivate him. It gave him insight into the profound impact that coaching can provide − a role that he would soon take at Iowa City West.
“Really, I mean it changed the whole trajectory of my life,” Crusinberry said. “Seeing the impact that that coach had on me really made me feel like I can do that for someone else.”
Iowa City West announced Crusinberry as its new interim volleyball coach on Monday, pending school board approval.
After graduating from Hunter College, Crusinberry earned his master’s degree from Durham University in Northern England where he played semi-pro volleyball for the Team Durham Club. He went on to have coaching stints with Hunter College and Drew University.
“Ben has had success playing and coaching volleyball wherever he has gone,” West High athletics director BJ Mayer said in a statement. “His experience and knowledge of the game will be a great asset to our program moving forward.”
Crusinberry will take over a role previously held by Keeley Arnold, who resigned in June. He was named interim coach due to the timing of Arnold's resignation and subsequent hire, with an evaluation set for after the season, according to Mayer. The Trojans finished 9-25 last season.
Crusinberry, eager to secure a permanent role, has always valued team culture, a trait that he hopes to strengthen within Iowa City West volleyball.
“In terms of goals, I’d say long-term I’d like to win a state championship here,” Crusinberry said. “I think we are probably a ways off from that right now, but I think we need to set the culture in terms of what it means to improve as a team, and just generally make the program something that people want to be a part of.”
As the son of a chaplain and a doctor, Crusinberry said he’s always had a keen interest in helping others. Now, he has the opportunity to help rebuild Iowa City West volleyball, a program that hasn’t had a winning season since 2017.
“I’m excited and I know that this program has been very successful in the past,” Crusinberry said. “I am committed and believe that we can get back to that.”
Iowa City West volleyball will kick off its season on August 12.
Marc Ray is the high school sports reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. He can be reached at MARay@gannett.com, and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.
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