The Grand Rapids Rise have named Cathy George the new president and general manager for the Major League Volleyball franchise. After serving as the team’s head coach and vice president of volleyball operations during its first three seasons (2024-26), George is stepping down from more than four decades in coaching to oversee both business and volleyball operations for the Rise as they prepare for the 2027 campaign.
“For more than four decades, coaching has been my life's work and passion. I have been fortunate to lead athletes at every level and witness firsthand the transformative power of sport,” said George. “Serving as head coach of the Rise has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my career because it combined my love for coaching with the opportunity to help build something historic for our community and our sport.
“The response from our community over the first three seasons has been extraordinary. More than 150,000 fans have experienced GR Rise volleyball, proving that professional women's sports have a strong and enthusiastic audience in West Michigan. What began as a bold vision has evolved into something much bigger. Now comes the opportunity to accelerate.
“As president, I have an opportunity to focus even more intentionally on the long-term growth of the Rise and the impact this organization can have throughout our community and our state. After thoughtful consideration, I realized this opportunity would allow me to make an even greater impact on the future of the Rise. By channeling my passion, experience, and energy into strategic growth, community engagement, partnerships, and organizational development, I believe I can help build a thriving and sustainable future for this franchise, our athletes, our fans, and the next generation of women who dream of competing at the highest level,” she added.
The Rise expect to announce George’s successor as head coach in the coming weeks. She assumes the reins as president from Scott Gorsline, who remains in his longtime role as chief sports officer for DP Fox Ventures and will maintain ultimate oversight of both the Rise and Griffins on behalf of their parent company.
“There is nobody who is more passionate about volleyball and the Rise than Cathy George,” said Gorsline. “She has been a fierce advocate for volleyball her entire career and has worked incredibly hard to promote the game and our team the last three seasons. Similar to her coaching career, she will build a great team around her on both the volleyball and business sides of our operation to take the Rise to the next level. We’re very excited about the future under Cathy’s leadership.”
George’s new role is part of a larger restructuring of DP Fox Sports. Since Grand Rapids was awarded the league’s first franchise in December 2022, one business staff has served both the Rise and their sibling American Hockey League team, the Grand Rapids Griffins, who recently completed their 30th anniversary season. Going forward, each team will have a dedicated front office staff focused solely on its success.
“The Griffins/DP Fox Sports staff has done an awesome job of managing the business operations for the Griffins and Rise during the Rise’s first three seasons,” said Gorsline. “However, we feel that at this point both teams deserve a dedicated staff in order to best serve our fans and partners. Operating two teams with one staff during overlapping seasons is very challenging, and we are excited to see what the Rise and Griffins staffs can do going forward with more time and focus.”
“I want to thank the entire Griffins organization for their partnership, support, and collaboration during the launch and growth of the Rise,” added George. “Their expertise and commitment helped establish a strong foundation for our organization, and we look forward to continuing that partnership in the years ahead.”
Named the first head coach in Rise history on March 13, 2023, George led the team to the league’s championship match during its inaugural 2024 season. The fourth-seeded Rise upset the top-seeded Atlanta Vibe in five sets during the semifinals before falling to the second-seeded Omaha Supernovas in the title match on their rivals’ home court.
The 2026 season was highlighted by a franchise-record five-match winning streak and the midseason acquisition of Morgan Hentz, a two-time MLV Libero of the Year. Over George’s three seasons as head coach, she led the Rise to a cumulative 36-46 record, including that 1-1 playoff mark, bringing her record in 38 seasons as a head coach at the collegiate and professional levels to 703-503 (.583).
The winningest coach in the history of Michigan State University’s volleyball program, George led the Spartans for 17 seasons (2005-21) and totaled 35 years as a collegiate head coach, including 11 seasons (1994-2004) at Western Michigan University, five (1989-93) at Texas-Arlington, and two (1987-88) at North Dakota State. Upon her retirement from MSU in January 2022, her 667 career wins (667-457, .593) ranked 15th among active Division I coaches and third in the Big Ten.
Throughout her time in the state of Michigan, George’s teams have garnered strong fan support. Michigan State ranked in the top 25 in Division I attendance during each of her 17 seasons at the helm (excluding COVID restrictions during spring 2021), while Western Michigan led the MAC in total attendance in eight of her 11 seasons. Meanwhile, the Rise ranked third out of eight MLV teams during the 2026 season, averaging 3,582 per match at Van Andel Arena.
“I want to thank the team at DP Fox, including Dan DeVos, Scott, Cole DeVos, and Diane Maher, for their vision, commitment, and belief in professional women's sports,” said George. “The future of the Grand Rapids Rise has never been brighter, and I am incredibly excited about what we can accomplish together in the years ahead. I invite our fans, partners, community leaders, and supporters across Michigan to join us as we continue building something truly special, because the next chapter of the Rise will be shaped by all of us, and the best is yet to come.”