Eastern Washington hires Leslie Flores-Cloud to take over volleyball program

Drake associate head coach Leslie Flores-Cloud has been hired as Eastern Washington University’s volleyball coach, the school announced Friday.

Flores-Cloud takes over a program rocked by the firing of former coach Michael King and assistant coach Nathan Fristed in March and by 18 players exiting the program in King’s three seasons.

Flores-Cloud was at Drake the last five years. The Bulldogs posted their first winning season in six years with a 17-15 mark in 2016. Drake was 23-10 last year, the third-most successful season in program history.

“I want to thank (athletic director) Lynn Hickey for the opportunity to become the next head coach at Eastern Washington University, as well as everyone on the search committee for taking the time to hear my vision and show me around,” Flores-Cloud said in an EWU release. “I see tremendous potential at Eastern Washington and I am excited to compete in the Big Sky Conference.”

Flores-Cloud, a Southern California native, was a graduate assistant at USC in 2011 and a volunteer assistant at Loyola Marymount in 2010. She also has coaching experience at the high school, club and junior college levels.

“She will initiate a new era, a new beginning for Eastern Washington volleyball through her high energy and passion,” Hickey said. “Leslie is an influential leader with an outstanding work ethic who is committed to building a positive team culture and a competitive NCAA Division I volleyball program.”

An alleged $300 payment to a player led to the firing of King and Fristed. An EWU investigator “substantiated” an allegation that King improperly paid the player. King and Fristed have denied any wrongdoing.

EWU’s roster lists six players as of May 30, according to the team website.

Flores-Cloud was Drake’s recruiting coordinator and the team’s 2017 class received honorable mention recognition from Prepvolleyball.com. She was selected as a presenter at the 2017 American Volleyball Coaches Association convention and was also chosen by the AVCA to be a member of the NCAA Minority Coaches Forum.

Flores-Cloud twice earned all-conference honors as a setter at Division III La Verne (California). La Verne reached the Division III Final Four in three of her four seasons.

Attempts to contact Flores-Cloud were unsuccessful.