Laurie
Eisler

Following a stellar playing career at the University of Saskatchewan, Laurie Eisler took over as the head coach of the University of Alberta Pandas Volleyball team prior to the 1991/92 season. At the University of Saskatchewan, Eisler (née Baber) was a four-time Canada West All-Star, a CIAU All-Canadian, and a two-time conference champion. Eisler served as the Huskies head coach in 1989/90 and was named the Canada West Coach of the Year before moving on to Edmonton and the University of Alberta in 1991, taking over a Pandas squad which had not won a conference title since the 1959-60 season.

In U SPORTS women’s volleyball history, you’d be hard-pressed to find a coach with a more successful resume than Laurie Eisler. As the Head coach of the University of Alberta Pandas, Eisler has been at the helm for 28 seasons, leading the team to six National Championships, including five straight from 1995 to 1999. This past season, she reached the 800-win mark for her career, becoming just the second women’s volleyball coach to reach that impressive milestone. In addition to her six National titles, Eisler has coached the Pandas to 11 Canada West titles and 15 National medals. She’s been recognized as the conference coach of the year seven times and has been honoured as the national coach of the year three times.

Eisler is also the winningest coach in any sport in University of Alberta history with 852 overall wins. She became the winningest coach in school history on February 24, 2017, when she passed the legendary hockey coach, Clare Drake’s record of 720 career wins. Her 430 conference wins are also the most in school history.

Laurie credits several Volleyball Canada Hall of famers as her mentors. “Mark Tennant at the University of Saskatchewan made the greatest impact on my life. I was fortunate to spend nine years working with him as an athlete and coach. Everything that I needed to know about coaching I learned from him, and I don’t think I would have pursued the career without his encouragement, support and guidance” Since taking the position at the U of A, Laurie worked closely for several years with Dr. Lorne Sawula “who was not only a great support of me and our program but a great mind and passion for the game. I also have learned a ton from my many Japanese coaching colleagues and to this day am fortunate to work alongside one of them, Naoki Miyashita.”

Eisler has also coached at the provincial, national. and international levels, including being the head coach of the Canadian FISU team for the 2019 Summer Universiade Games in Napoli, Italy. She was also the coach of the Canadian Women’s Beach team of Barb Broen and Margo Malowney during their final preparations for the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996. Laurie also served as the NextGen Assistant Coach last summer assisting Carolyn O'Dwyer.

In recognition of her stellar coaching career, Laurie was inducted into the Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 and most recently in 2023 was inducted into the Saskatchewan Volleyball Hall of Fame.

When asked what she was proudest of in her coaching career, she replied, “I’m proud of our Panda family. Our alumni are doing amazing work and are improving their communities all over the world! I’m privileged to have played a role in their lives and so very proud of their strength and willingness to give back and contribute where they feel the most need.”

Today, we are honoured to induct Laurie Eisler as a coach in the Volleyball Canada Hall of Fame in recognition of her outstanding career as an athlete, coach, and innovator.