By Jake Mewhiney
When the NCAA Division III Men’s Volleyball National Championship kicks off this Saturday at Blake Arena, the voice calling the action will sound familiar to the Springfield community. For Evin Giglio, a Springfield College alumnus and current head coach at Wentworth Institute of Technology, being on the broadcast isn’t just a job—it’s a homecoming.
Giglio’s journey began on the very same hardwood he will overlook this weekend. A transfer student who arrived at Springfield seeking direction, Giglio found his footing as a Sports Journalism major. “I didn’t have a lot of academic direction before I came here,” Giglio admitted. “Then I got here and realized I could write for the newspaper, have my own radio show, and really get ingrained in the major. It was a great opportunity for me.”
While his journalism roots were planted at Springfield, his coaching career sprouted almost immediately after graduation. Following a stint as a Division I assistant at Austin Peay, Giglio found himself at a crossroads when a coaching change left him searching for his next move. He turned to his mentor, legendary Springfield head coach Charlie Sullivan.
Sullivan’s advice was simple: look toward Boston. Despite Giglio’s initial hesitation about being a head coach just one year out of college, Sullivan encouraged him to apply to Wentworth. Fifteen years later, Giglio has built a powerhouse program of his own, often finding himself on the opposite side of the net from his former coach. “It’s unique that we get the opportunity to play against each other,” Giglio said. “I’m just one of two guys who played for Charlie that are collegiate head coaches in Men’s Division III. I always enjoy coming back to Springfield. A lot in my life I’m proud of wouldn’t have happened had I not come here.”
That relationship adds a layer of depth to Saturday’s broadcast. Giglio isn’t just an analyst; he’s a peer and a product of the program. His transition into the media booth started in 2017 when he earned his way onto a broadcast during a Final Four run. Since then, he has balanced the demands of coaching and fatherhood—he now has two young sons—with his love for the mic.
The opportunity to call a National Championship at his alma mater is a rare collision of his two worlds: the journalism major who found his voice and the coach who knows the game better than anyone. “Springfield has been really, really important in my life and my journey,” Giglio said. “To hopefully help the overall experience here be a little bit better by being on the broadcast… I’m very thankful for it.”
While the Springfield College team will be competing for its next national championship, Giglio will have the opportunity to cover the match on national television, which speaks to the fact that the bond created between the Springfield College community and the game continues well beyond graduation.
(Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics/Flickr)