Mike Bynon
We have selected Mike Bynon as the All-Star Coaching Director. Mike Bynon is a native of Burnt Hills, NY. Upon graduating from Burnt Hills, where he was a multiple time league MVP and State Champion, Mike attended Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. At Carthage, Mike spent four years as the starting libero and helped lead Carthage to three Final Fours including the National Championship game his senior year. Mike graduated from Carthage as an AVCA All-American and is still the all-time leader in digs. Mike has a major in Exercise and Sports Science with minors in Education and Health.
After graduation, Bynon was an assistant at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts for the 2013 & 2014 seasons, helping the Ephs post a 55-10 mark and advance to back-to-back NCAA Division III Tournament berths including an Elite 8 appearance in 2014. Mike helped coach multiple AVCA All-Americans during his time in Williamstown.
From 2015-2020 Bynon was the head coach at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. He coached the Bears to a 90-58 record in five seasons, including a winning mark in each campaign and a strong presence in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), with postseason tournament berths in each season.
Nick Basco
Nick will be a Head Coach for one of our All-Star teams and is originally from Albany, New York. Nick made his mark at Nichols College, where he captained the men’s volleyball team and earned NECC Defensive Player of the Year honors while helping lead the program to its first conference championship and national ranking. After earning his degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Sport Management, he transitioned seamlessly into coaching, joining the Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) men’s volleyball staff as a graduate assistant under Head Coach Karl France. At FDU, Basco played a key role in guiding the team to its first NEC Tournament appearance and win, further establishing his reputation as a player-focused mentor. He completed his Master's in Sport Administration at FDU and shortly after was named the head women’s volleyball coach at St. Thomas Aquinas College (STAC), where he brings his competitive drive, leadership experience, and passion for player development to a new program. Known for his attention to detail, and commitment to fostering growth both on and off the court, Basco continues to build a promising career as one of the rising young coaches in collegiate volleyball.
Kate Isaksen
In addition, Kate Isaksen will be a Head Coach and just completed her second season as an assistant coach for the SUNY Cortland women’s volleyball program in 2025, helping lead the Red Dragons to back-to-back SUNYAC regular-season and tournament championships and NCAA Division III playoff appearances. She previously served as interim head coach at SUNY Cobleskill in 2023, guiding a program turnaround and a return to the NAC playoffs, and as interim head coach at SUNY Brockport in 2022, leading the team to the SUNYAC tournament finals. Isaksen was also an assistant coach at Brockport from 2021–2022.
A three-time AVCA All-American libero at Clarkson University, Isaksen earned bachelor’s degrees in computer science and mathematics in 2020 and a master’s degree in Adolescent Inclusive Mathematics Education from SUNY Brockport in 2024. She is a former Excelsior Region High Performance (HP) regional athlete and coach, with six years of participation (2011-2016) and three years of coaching experience (2017-2020) with the program.
