Bio

Joey Pacis is in his 10th year as head women's volleyball coach at Bentley University. Pacis has led the Falcons to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, in the 2019, 2021 and 2022 seaons, and four NCAA appearances overall.

In 2022 the Falcons were Northeast-10 Conference co-regular season champions, and in 2019 Pacis guided the program to both the NE10 tournament championship and the regular season championship. 

Pacis initally came to Bentley in 2013 as an assistant to the legendary Sandy Hoffman and took over as head coach when she stepped aside for health reasons prior to the 2014 season. During his nine seasons at the helm, Pacis has posted a 142-93 record, including 79-29 in NE10 contests.

The 2019 season was the Falcons' most successful thus far during Pacis' tenure. Bentley captured both the regular season and tournament championships in the NE10 before gaining the number two seed in the NCAA Division II East Regional. Bentley's 26-6 record was the program's best since 2002 and included a 16-match winning streak. Pacis received the Sandy Hoffman Northeast-10 Coach of the Year award and was also cited as the AVCA Division II East Region Coach of the Year.

Pacis was previously cited as the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year in 2014 after directing the Falcons to a 19-12 record, a share of the NE10 regular season title, a berth in the NE10 championship match and the semifinals of the NCAA Division II East Regional. 

Prior to Bentley, The 1995 University of Illinois graduate was the head coach at Merrimack College for eight years, from 2003-10. He’s the winningest coach in Merrimack’s volleyball history, with a career record of 117-116, and guided his team to the program’s first two NCAA tournament berths, in 2007 and 2008.

Pacis was the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year in both of those seasons, and his team twice had the highest cumulative GPA among Merrimack’s varsity teams (2007, 2008). His 2009 team set a school record for wins with 21. Prior to being named Merrimack's head coach in February 2003, Pacis served as an assistant with the program for three years.

In all, Pacis is a four-time NE10 Coach of the Year.

Pacis was an outstanding player for the University of Illinois, serving as the team’s starting setter for four years. In 1994, he helped the Fighting Illini win its first Big Ten men’s volleyball championship and earned second team All-Tournament honors. Illinois finished No. 17 in the nation his senior year. While attending Illinois, Pacis volunteered as a student coach for the women’s Division I volleyball program under the direction of Mike Hebert, and also coached at the Fighting Illini summer volleyball camps.

A native of Southern California, Pacis graduated from Illinois in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in General Engineering. He resides in Watertown with his wife, Holly, their son, Ryan, and their chocolate lab, Jack.

The Pacis Record