DeAnn Akins enters her second season at the helm of the Wartburg College volleyball program in 2026. In her first season at Wartburg in 2025, Akins guided the Knights to a 15-12 overall record and a 4-4 mark in A-R-C play, earning the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament.
Prior to returning to Wartburg, Akins spent the 2005 season as the director of volleyball operations at the University of Iowa.
From 2006-24, Akins spent 19 seasons at Coe College, where she established herself as one of the most successful coaches in the American Rivers Conference. During her tenure, the Kohawks compiled a 388-224 record and captured multiple conference championships while making three NCAA Tournament appearances. Coe won the A-R-C Tournament championship in 2014 and 2022 and claimed the 2024 A-R-C regular-season championship. Akins guided Coe to five seasons with at least 27 victories, including a 31-4 campaign in 2011, a 33-7 record in 2013 and a 27-6 mark in 2022.
Akins' 2022 Coe squad finished 27-6 overall and a perfect 12-0 in conference play, earning the A-R-C Tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament berth. The Kohawks also posted a 23-8 record in 2024 while winning the A-R-C regular-season title.
Before her time at Coe, Akins spent two seasons at Kirkwood Community College from 2003-04, leading the Eagles to an 81-25 record. In 2003, Kirkwood went 40-12 and captured the ICCAC championship, NJCAA Region XI championship and NJCAA Division II national championship. The Eagles followed with a 41-13 campaign in 2004, again winning the ICCAC and NJCAA Region XI championships while advancing to the NJCAA Division II National Tournament. Akins was named NJCAA Division II District C Coach of the Year in both 2003 and 2004 and was the 2003 AVCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year.
Akins began her collegiate coaching career at Wartburg in 2002 as an assistant coach. She helped lead the Knights to their first 30-win season, first Iowa Conference title and the program's highest-ever ranking at No. 7.
As a collegiate student-athlete, Akins began her career at the University of South Dakota before transferring to the University of Northern Iowa. She played on the 1997 Panther team before serving as a student/volunteer assistant for four seasons. During that time, UNI won four consecutive Missouri Valley Conference titles and made four NCAA National Tournament appearances.
A native of Waverly, Iowa, Akins earned her bachelor's degree from UNI in 2000 and her master's degree from California University of Pennsylvania in 2007.
Akins has compiled a 484-261 (.650) career record across 22 seasons of collegiate coaching, including 388-224 during her 19 seasons at Coe and an 81-25 mark in two seasons at Kirkwood Community College.
Akins Year by Year
Â
| Year |
Institution |
Overall Record/Conference |
Conference Finish - Post-Season |
| 2003 |
Kirkwood College |
40-12 (13-0) |
ICCAC Champions; NJCAA Region XI Champions (10-0); NJCAA Division II National Champions |
| 2004 |
Kirkwood College |
41-13 |
ICCAC Champions; NJCAA Region XI Champions; NJCAA Division II National Tournament qualifier (5th) |
| Totals at Kirwood |
2 seasons |
81-25 (.764) |
|
| 2006 |
Coe College |
26-8 (10-2) |
2nd-Â NCAA Tournament, First-round |
| 2007 |
Coe College |
20-12 (7-5) |
|
| 2008 |
Coe College |
4-30 (1-10) |
|
| 2009 |
Coe College |
9-25 (3-8) |
|
| 2010 |
Coe College |
19-14 (7-5) |
|
| 2011 |
Coe College |
31-4 (12-0) |
1st - IIAC Tournament Semifinals |
| 2012 |
Coe College |
20-13 (9-3) |
2nd - IIAC Tournament Semifinals |
| 2013 |
Coe College |
33-7 (11-1) |
2nd - IIAC Tournament Finals |
| 2014 |
Coe College |
29-10 (10-2) |
1st - A-R-C Tournament Champions; NCAA Second Round |
| 2015 |
Coe College |
23-13 (7-5) |
5th - A-R-C Tournament Semifinals |
| 2016 |
Coe College |
23-11 (9-3)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â |
3rd - A-R-C Tournament Finals |
| 2017 |
Coe College |
14-16 (5-7) |
5th - A-R-C Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 2018 |
Coe College |
20-11 (7-5) |
3rd - A-R-C Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 2019 |
Coe College |
15-18 (5-7) |
5th - A-R-C Tournament Quarterfinals |
| 2020 (spring 2021) |
Coe College |
7-1 (5-0) |
Regular Season Co-Champions *no tournament due to COVID-19* |
| 2021 |
Coe College |
24-8 (10-2) |
2nd - A-R-C Tournament Finals |
| 2022 |
Coe College |
27-6 (12-0) |
1st - A-R-C Tournament Champions; NCAA First First Round |
| 2023 |
Coe College |
21-12 (8-4) |
3rd - A-R-C Tournament Champion; NCAA First Round |
| 2024 |
Coe College |
23-8 (9-3) |
1st - A-R-C Regular Season Champions; A-R-C Tournament Semifinals |
| Totals at Coe |
19 seasons |
388-224 |
|
| 2025 |
Wartburg College |
15-12 (4-4) |
6th - A-R-C Tournament - First Round |
| Career Totals |
22Â seasons |
484-261 (.650) |
|
