Guided by Purpose, Grounded in Faith: John Harding Makes History at Sterling College

John Harding never planned to coach volleyball. For years, basketball was his world — until a high school athletic director handed him a new challenge. "I was coaching basketball and had been coaching basketball for about 10 years," Harding said. "The volleyball coach retired and the athletic director told me that I should apply for the volleyball coaching job. So I applied and they hired me to be the volleyball coach at the local high school."

That unexpected opportunity turned into a calling. Today, Harding is the winningest volleyball coach in Sterling College history with 262 wins surpassing his predecessor Mary Ver Steg who retires with 255 wins. He tied the record with a 3-1 win over York University on Oct. 8 and beat the record the following game against Friends University with a 3-2 win on Oct. 11. Harding credits this milestone to time, teamwork and the people who believed in him long before he ever set foot in a volleyball gym.

Harding's path to collegiate coaching began years ago in California, when a seminary classmate opened the door to campus athletics. "A friend of mine was coaching at Azusa Pacific University and I got a job being an assistant basketball coach there for a year and enjoyed that," he said. "Then I got a head coaching job at California Institute of Technology coaching their women's basketball team and did that for a couple years."

The college experience stuck with him. After a successful run with Cordova High School in Alaska, Harding decided to see if he could make the jump to college volleyball. "I'd had a lot of success with my high school team in Alaska and so I decided to see if I could find a job at a college that would be a good fit," he said. That search eventually led him to Sterling.

Harding's arrival at Sterling College wasn't instant — but it felt meant to be. "I'm not sure that I actually picked Sterling College," he said. The first year he applied, Sterling hired someone else. But his wife, Piper Harding, remained certain their story wasn't over. "My wife was pretty sure that God had told her that we were going to end up in Sterling," Harding said. "That didn't happen the first time, but a year later, the job came open again, and I reapplied."

This time, the timing was right. Sterling invited him for an in-person interview and offered him the job. Harding accepted, sensing the fit he'd been searching for. "We decided that was the right fit, and it was just different timing than we had expected from the first time," he said.

Years later, Harding's impact at Sterling is measured in wins, relationships, and memories. "Being the winningest volleyball coach at Sterling College means I've been here a long time," he said with a laugh. "I think this record is something that is mostly due to longevity, but also just due to all of the many great players that I've had the opportunity to coach and that have won all of the matches that I have been able to be a part of."

Some moments stand out more than others — like six consecutive championship runs in Alaska, three consecutive state title, and Sterling College's most recent national tournament breakthrough at the NCCAA.

For Harding, coaching is about more than wins and losses — it's about growth, both on and off the court. "Be coachable, manage your time well, and don't be afraid to make mistakes," he said. "Mistakes are a great opportunity to learn what doesn't work and to get better. And enjoy the process."

That process, he believes, is best lived in community — something he's found at Sterling College. "I think first and foremost, it means community to me," Harding said. "It is a great place where you can grow in your faith, grow as a person, and be supported throughout that process no matter where you are in that. People here want you to succeed, whether that's our students or our fellow coaches."

From a surprise coaching assignment to a career built on faith, family and perseverance, John Harding's story is a testament to trusting the journey — and embracing the unexpected chapters along the way.