MOSCOW, Idaho – University of Idaho head Volleyball coach Debbie Buchanan announced her retirement, Wednesday. She steps down at Idaho after 22 years, 320 wins, 16 conference postseason appearances and two NCAA tournament appearances.
 
She is taking the opportunity to focus on her family. Buchanan and her husband Buck have two sons, Austin, the oldest is a redshirt freshman on the Hawaii men's volleyball team. Blake is a junior at Lake City High School in Coeur d'Alene where he is a highly sought-after basketball recruit.
 
"I am retiring from coaching after 27 years to be closer to my family and to be able to go and watch my boys compete," Buchanan said. "I have loved my time here at the University of Idaho and appreciate all the support and friendships I have made along the way."
 
Buchanan concludes her tenure as the program's all-time winningest head coach, boasting a 320-317 career record, including 198-164 in conference play, spanning across the Big West Conference, the Western Athletic Conference, and the Big Sky Conference.
 
"Debbie committed herself to this program for over 20 years," Idaho Athletic Director Terry Gawlik said. "She has done everything right on and off the court and made Vandal volleyball competitive for over two decades in three different leagues. We are grateful for everything she has done for Vandal Athletics and wish her all the best going forward."
 
Spring 2021 marked Idaho's 16th consecutive conference postseason appearance, where they earned the No. 7 seed in the Big Sky tournament

A native of St. Maries, Idaho, Buchanan took the reins of Vandal Volleyball beginning in 2000 and wasted no time in making Idaho a contender.  In her first year, Idaho knocked off No. 18 Utah State in Memorial Gym, and again defeated the No. 18-ranked team in the country, this time Santa Clara, in the 2001 season.
 
In 2003, just her fourth season as head coach, Buchanan led the Vandals to their first NCAA appearance since 1995 receiving the first at-large bid to NCAA Tournament in program history. The 2004 season saw the Vandals earn their second-consecutive at-large bid and pick up the highest-ranked win in program history, a 3-2 win over No. 13 UC Santa Barbara.
 
After five seasons in the Big West, Idaho moved to the Western Athletic Conference from 2005-2013. The Vandals advanced to the WAC semifinals in 2010, 2011 and 2013, and the program's first WAC championship match in 2012. In 2011, Buchanan earned WAC Coach of the Year honors and had a program-high six players earn WAC postseason honors. Buchanan's teams went 91-52 (.636) in WAC matches in nine seasons as a member of the conference.
 
In 2014, Idaho's first season back in the Big Sky Conference, the Vandals finished 11-5 in league play to earn the No. 4 seed in the Big Sky Tournament. In 2015, Buchanan led the Vandals to the Big Sky North Division title, going 10-6 in conference play. In 2017, Idaho again won the Big Sky North and advanced to the semifinals of the Conference tournament.
 
Idaho earned a share of the 2018 Big Sky regular season title and the No. 2 seed at the conference tourney. The Vandals advanced all the way to the Big Sky title match.
 
Under Buchanan's tutelage, Idaho players have earned one All-American honor, two AVCA All-Region selections, 49 All-Conference honors, and 12 All-Freshman team selections.  Buchanan has also coached a player to a first team all-conference selection in 15 of her 22 seasons and boasts the only Vandal player to earn four all-conference honors in her career.
 
Idaho Athletics will conduct a national search to find a new head coach. Gawlik will lead the search, leveraging her contacts and extensive experience as a former volleyball student-athlete, coach, administrator and past chair of the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Committee.