ByLandon Dierks
July 14, 2026 at 12:00 PM
As the annual Kernel Volleyball Camp opened on Monday, a new yet familiar face stood in front of the crop of local players
Veteran coach Amy Tyler is in her first summer as head coach of Mitchell High School, the first person not named Deb Thill to lead the Kernels. Tyler spent three seasons from 2020-22 as an MHS assistant under Thill, who announced her retirement in January after 35 years. Prior to coming to Mitchell, Tyler won more than 400 matches and two Class A state titles during a decade and a half as head coach at Wagner High School
Tyler stepped away from coaching in recent seasons to more closely follow her daughter, Lizzie, in her standout volleyball career at Dakota Wesleyan. But with the MHS position becoming available, returning to the sidelines was too good an opportunity to pass up
“I was talking to my family and my daughter Lizzie just said, ‘Mom, when you’re in the gym, there’s just an energy about you,’” Tyler said. “And I agree with her. I love being back in the gym, and I love being around the girls. It just energizes me. I forget how old I am, but I feel like I still have some years to give. I’m really excited to be in this position, so it’ll be a good year.”
The 2026 season is already on the horizon, as Monday marked exactly one month out from the first allowable practice date of Aug. 13. Tyler said her transition back to coaching has been mostly seamless, though she noted the jump of organizing and coordinating an entire program again when compared to the duties during her time as an assistant
“I don’t know that there’s anything easy about coaching in general, but the easiest part is just the flow once you get into the gym,” Tyler said. “The girls are eager to learn, and they’re working really hard. That’s the easiest part.”
During her first offseason in charge, Tyler has focused on building relationships with her new players. Though she is familiar with several of them since they were working their way up through the middle school ranks during her prior stint on the coaching staff, she wants them to know her and her expectations
There’s a strong sense of continuity in the program, aided by Tyler’s retention of the assistant coaching staff. With a foundation in place, Tyler was ready to get on the court for a week filled with camps, starting with individual development on Monday and Tuesday, followed by a team camp on Wednesday and Thursday
“My favorite part of the offseason is putting girls into different positions to see where they’re going to flourish as an individual, being able to try new things where it’s risk-free and the girls can just play and have fun,” Tyler said. “There are a lot of different positions in volleyball, and they don’t need to focus on one. They need to learn about the game of volleyball.”
Last year, the Kernels went 16-11 and qualified for the Class AA state tournament during Thill’s final season, marking the program’s best campaign since 2018
Tyler acknowledged the uniqueness of taking over a program that has only ever had one leader, one who spent three and a half decades with the team. She added that coaching for three seasons on Thill’s staff was a benefit when it comes to blending the former coach’s style with her own, and that they certainly share some similarities in their core coaching principles
“We’re trying to implement the new philosophy and intertwine it with the culture that the kids already know,” Tyler said
By
Landon Dierks
Dierks covers prep and collegiate athletics across the Mitchell Republic’s coverage region area. His focus areas include: Mitchell High School football and boys basketball; area high school football, volleyball, basketball, baseball and track and field; and South Dakota State football. He is also at the forefront of the Mitchell Republic’s podcasting efforts. Dierks is a Mitchell native who graduated from South Dakota State University with his bachelor’s degree in journalism in May 2020. He joined the Mitchell Republic sports staff in August 2021. He can be reached at ldierks@mitchellrepublic.com and found on Twitter at @LDierksy.
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