University of Toledo Athletics

Joe Conroy was one of the all-time defensive greats at Toledo, ranking second in career tackles with 490 and sixth in tackles for loss with 39. As a senior, Conroy was the named the team captain and was also named First-Team All-MAC, the only Rocket to make any all-league team that year. He received the Nicholson Trophy as a senior for contributing the most to the success of the team. As a freshman in 1974, Conroy had 105 tackles with one interception, earning the Norman Cohen Award as the team’s best freshman. Conroy sat out the 1975 season due to injury but came back in 1976 to make 126 total tackles, including 11 for loss. Conroy also had 126 tackles in his junior year in 1977, adding nine TFLs. In his senior year, Joe had 133 tackles and 16 tackles for loss. While a student at UT, Conroy also played for the Rockets’ men’s volleyball club team for four seasons. After graduating from UT, Conroy was a professional beach volleyball player, and then became the strength and conditioning coach/assistant women’s volleyball coach at Youngstown State University. He later went on to become the head volleyball coach from 1992-2004. He was named the Mid-Continent Conference Coach of the Year in 1994, 1995, 1998 and 1999. After his retirement from coaching in 2004, Conroy worked as the Coordinator of Facilities and Programs for the Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center for YSU until his retirement in 2019.