Sports
Bay Port volleyball coach steps down days before practice starts
Luxemburg-Casco falls in WIAA D2 state volleyball championship
Catholic Memorial swept Luxemburg-Casco 3-0 in the WIAA Division 2 state girls volleyball championship at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon on Saturday.
- Bay Port girls volleyball coach Jeremy Weis unexpectedly resigned days before the start of practice.
- Weis led the Pirates to their first state tournament appearance in program history last season.
- The athletic director cited “differing perspectives on program direction” as the reason for Weis’ departure.
The Bay Port girls volleyball team made it to the WIAA Division 1 state tournament for the first time in program history last fall.
If the Pirates make another trip this season, they will do so with a new coach.
Jeremy Weis stepped down just days before practice was set to begin Aug. 18, leaving his team and the school with a significant hole to fill and not much time to do it.
“I am writing to share an important update regarding our volleyball program,” Bay Port athletic director Dillon Maney wrote in an email to the volleyball players and their families. “Jeremy Weis has resigned unexpectedly as head coach of the volleyball program.
“Although very disappointing, Mr. Weis’ decision was the result of differing perspectives on program direction, which ultimately led to his decision to resign. We understand this is sudden news so close to the start of the season. We are committed to working with our student-athletes to ensure a successful experience.”
Weis did not respond to a text message seeking comment about why he left.
The Pirates went 29-3 last season and won the Fox River Classic Conference championship in a league that had been dominated by Manitowoc the previous three years.
They received a No. 6 seed at state and lost to No. 3 Menomonee Falls in a quarterfinal.
It was quite the turnaround for a Bay Port program that had struggled for a few seasons and were coming off a 10-19 campaign before Weis was hired in 2022.
Weis helped lead the Pirates to a 17-12 record and a runner-up finish in the FRCC his first season and then went 30-6 in 2023 while again finishing runner-up to the Ships.
Before arriving at Bay Port, Weis and his wife, Sheila, helped turn East Troy into a volleyball powerhouse. It went to state three times under the duo and won D2 championships in 2013 and 2018.
Weis worked as a physical education teacher in the East Troy school district. He felt like the town wasn’t supporting teachers enough and decided to leave.
Now, after three years at Bay Port, he’s decided to leave his coaching position again. He remains a physical education teacher at Bay View Middle School.
Such a late departure likely put his players in a difficult position with practice underway and the season set to start Sept. 4 with a nonconference match at Fox Valley Lutheran.
The Pirates also must replace standouts such as outside hitters Kendra Shimon and Aubrey Eagles, middle blocker Chloe Parker and right side hitter-outside hitter Jolie Jacques, but they do have some impact talent returning.
The list includes junior setter Meghan Bruss and senior middle and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay commit Taylor Neuenschwander.
Bay Port likely will have a new head coach in place this week, and whatever expectations it had under Weis will remain the same under the new leader.
“We have some high-level players,” Maney said. “We have a chance to compete for a conference championship again and go on a nice run again in the playoffs.
“We are trying to find someone that can navigate that and get us right back there.”