FLC Makes Coaching Changes to Volleyball, Football

By Mike Ranson

The resignation of three Fort Lewis College coaches was announced by athletic director Barney Hinkle on January 11. Head volleyball coach Kelley Rifilato, assistant volleyball coach Sloan Levett, and FLC football linebackers coach Ed Rifilato resigned.

In her five years Kelly Rifilato led the volleyball team to 38-77 overall and 26-65 in the RMAC and had one winning season. She led the volleyball team to one RMAC tournament birth in 2013.

Hinkle plans to form a committee to fill the position. He does not know who will be on the committee besides himself and assistant athletic director, Sarah Meier, he said.

“In regards to finding a new volleyball coach, with the help of my committee, we will try and find the right fit for the program within a week. If not a week then two weeks,” Hinkle said.

A former head coach of the football program, Ed Rifilato led the Skyhawks to 26-48 overall and 21-39 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, also notching the school’s best record of 7-4 in 2006 while he was the head coach.

In regards to Ed, Hinkle expressed his admiration. “He has been one of the pure joys of my first three months as an athletic director here at Fort Lewis College.”

Ed’s departure was felt throughout the football department, especially now with newly minted head football coach Joe Morris. Ed served as a role model and mentor to Morris throughout Ed’s year’s at FLC, Hinkle said. Morris declined an interview for this story.

Hinkle does not see any other changes to coaching positions throughout FLC and expressed his support for the other athletic programs gearing up to start their seasons in the spring, he said.

The search to fill the empty positions has already begun, Hinkle said. The football staff coaching search will be headed by Hinkle and Morris.

“Joe and I are talking pretty regular about building his staff and hiring the right people for the right disciplines within the staff,” Hinkle said.