DeKALB – Nearly a quarter-century after the end of his storied tenure at the helm of NIU volleyball, Pete Waite is bound for the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame.
Waite was announced as the third member of the 2024 NIU Athletics Hall of Fame Class on Tuesday, joining former NIU quarterback Jordan Lynch and former NIU gymnast Holly Reichard.
During his 11-season stint at NIU from 1988 to 1998, Waite guided the Huskies to a 266-102 record, four NCAA Tournament bids and seven total postseason appearances. He owns the highest winning percentage in program history, having won 72.3% of the matches he coached for the Huskies.
“Pete Waite’s record at NIU speaks for itself,” said Rodney Davis, chair of the Hall of Fame Committee via NIU Athletics. “His NIU volleyball teams absolutely dominated the competition, advanced to postseason play more often than not and established a legacy of success for Huskie volleyball. We’re very pleased to welcome Coach Waite to the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame.”
Waite was named conference coach of the year three times during his NIU career. He earned back-to-back Mid-Continent Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1992 and 1993 before taking home Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1997.
Waite went on to coach the University of Wisconsin volleyball program from 1999 to 2012. Under his leadership, the Badgers went 305-147 with nine NCAA Tournament appearances, two Big Ten titles and a national runner-up finish in 2001.
The 2024 NIU Athletics Hall of Fame Class will be honored during Homecoming Weekend on Oct. 18 and 19.
