Willie Whealen is entering his fifth season with the program in 2026. He joined the Phoenix as an assistant coach in February 2022.
During his time with the Phoenix, Whealen has helped coach three players to CAA All-Rookie selections. He also assisted the Maroon and Gold to its most successful campaign in the CAA in with the squad going 10-6 in league play in 2022. That season, the Phoenix earned a 3-2 victory over 18-0 Towson at home. Elon then gave the Tigers a 3-2 setback on the road in 2025, snapping Towson's nation-leading 17-match win streak.Â
Prior to Elon, Whealen was a volunteer assistant coach at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Mo. from the fall of 2020 through the fall 2021 season. A 2021 AVCA Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship recipient, he was responsible for training the Billikens' primary passers, scouted opponent blocking and defense to help inform the team's offensive game plan for each match, co-led weekly setter meetings and was responsible for in-match sideout and reception charts. He also created scouting reports, developed a goal-tracking system for individual players, and assisted with on on-campus recruiting visits. During his time at Saint Loius, he also help coach Kate Aupperle to become the A-10 Rookie of the Year.
Prior to joining the Billikens, Whealen was an assistant coach with Lindenwood University's men's volleyball team for the 2016-17 academic year. He was also a USAV Club Coach with St. Louis High Performance Volleyball and was a varsity assistant at both Visitation Academy (2015-19) and his alma mater, St. Louis University High School (2016, 2018-19).
Whealen played club for St. Louis High Performance from 2005-11 and also played all four years as a student at St. Louis High School from 2008-11, winning a state championship in 2010. He attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he was a member of the Mizzou Men's Club Volleyball team from 2011-15 and earned his Bachelor's of English Literature degree with minors in Business and French. He later added a Teaching Certification in Secondary English from Lindenwood University in 2019.
