Kean University

Former All-American Besmir (Bez) Arslani was promoted to Head Coach in Sept. 2022 after serving as an Assistant Coach and Acting Head Coach during the 2022 season. Prior to last season, Arslani was a student assistant during the 2017 season. 

Arslani enters his fourth full season as head coach in 2026.

Coaching Highlights

CVC Playoff Appearances: 2022, 2023, 2025

Two Defensive Player of the Year Selections

Three Rookie of the Year Selections

13 All-Conference Selections

One Academic All-American

In 2025, Tyler Quinn was named the NJAC Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. The Cougars had two All-CVC selections and three All-NJAC selections as Kean qualified for the CVC Tournament for the third time in four seasons.  

In 2024, Tyler Quinn was named the NJAC Defensive Player of the Year.

In 2023, Chris Mitchell was named the NJAC Co-Rookie of the Year as the Cougars qualified for the CVC Tournament.

In 2022, Meulens was named the CVC and NJAC Rookies of the Year as the Cougars qualified for the CVC Tournament.

After graduation, Arslani played professional volleyball in the National Volleyball Association (NVA) with Team Freedom.  

Arslani was the program’s inaugural First-Team All-American in 2015. He was a Second-Team All-American in 2014. He was named the Skyline Conference Player of the Year, First-Team All-ECAC and First-Team All-Skyline in both seasons as well. He was also the first Cougar ever named a CoSIDA Academic All-American, a distinction he achieved in 2015.

Despite playing just two seasons with the Cougars, Arslani is peppered throughout the Kean record book and in the Top-5 all-time in kills (667), hitting percentage (.295) and aces (67).

Arslani started his collegiate career at NJAC rival New Jersey City University, where he tallied 826 kills over two seasons. 

He has previously been the head coach for Side-Out Sports’ 17s club team Union High School’s junior varsity team and Wayne Valley's JV boys and girls teams.

He graduated with a B.S. in Physical Education from Kean in 2015. 

* - Named Acting Head Coach on Mar 15th, 2022

Updated 6-23-25