ATLANTA—Oglethorpe Director of Athletics Todd Brooks has announced Mara Suarez as the next head coach for the Stormy Petrel volleyball program. Suarez comes to Oglethorpe most recently from Druid Hills High School where she served as head coach and program director since 2023.
"I am excited to announce Mara as our head volleyball coach," Brooks said. "Her enthusiasm and passion for volleyball and coaching were clear to the search committee. We were also looking for someone with a background of documented success in helping a program competitively take the next step which Mara did at Druid Hills High School. Between her success and her contagious enthusiasm, we were all confident that she was the best fit for the position as our next head coach."
Saurez's time at Druid Hills was marked by tremendous success. She took over a rebuilding program and quickly turned it into a contender, posting a combined record of 88-41 in three seasons and qualifying for consecutive state tournament appearances which included a sweet 16 run in 2024, the program's first state tournament appearance since 2016. Suarez led several of her student-athletes to all-county, all-region and all-district awards, including player of the year and defensive player of the year. She was named Dekalb County coach of the year in 2025.
"I am so excited to start this new chapter here at Oglethorpe University," Suarez said. "Growing up in Atlanta I have always seen Oglethorpe and been amazed at how beautiful it is. Now I get to be part of this wonderful community. I look forward to the season and can't wait to see what the team and I can do."
Alongside Druid Hills, Suarez has served ACE Club Volleyball since 2023, specializing in setting, rotations and defense and focusing on team systems and player development through clinics and training sessions. Prior to ACE, Suarez served as JV head coach and assistant varsity coach for Tucker High School, where she helped lead the team to a 2022 state tournament.
Suarez, originally from Decatur, Georgia, graduated from Georgia Southern University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in graphic design. She finished her graduate degree from University of Florida in 2020 with a Master of Arts in education.