Congratulations Coach Winkler

     For the past nineteen years Suzanne Winkler has been the face of Bishop Kenny High School volleyball.  Recently Coach Winkler reached a significant milestone in her career earning win number 400 in a match against a very strong Fernandina Beach High School team.  When asked about the win Winkler said, “Honestly, it was just another day of coaching.” Winkler tries to make every win a big one - challenging her girls to play like it’s the last game of the season. Her record now stands at 400 wins and 159 losses resulting in a 71.5 winning percentage.

     Winkler’s coaching career at Bishop Kenny began in 2003.  Since then, she has coached teams to two state championships, three state runners-up and made 13 final four appearances.  Her teams have won 13 regional championships and 18 consecutive district championships.  She has been named coach of the year five times and received the National Positive Coach Award twice.

     Winkler grew up playing soccer, volleyball and basketball at Holy Name Catholic High School in Reading, PA.  A well-rounded student, she graduated with all academic honors.  After high school she attended Marymount University where she had a stellar volleyball career.  In 2008 she was the first volleyball player ever to be inducted into the Marymount Hall of Fame.

     Coach Winkler juggles her time between coaching indoor and beach volleyball and raising four children with her husband, Brad Winkler.  She coaches her teams as if they were extended family and pushes them to be their best stating, “We’re always big believers that if you want to try to be the best, you’ve got to play the best, and then you have to look at what you need to work on because the goal is to continually improve your game.”