FAIRFIELD, Conn. - The Fairfield University Athletics Department has announced that Jeff ‘CJ' Werneke has stepped down as the head volleyball coach. Werneke has accepted the same position at Rutgers University.

"CJ continued to build on the success of our volleyball program," Athletics Director Eugene Doris said. "We are confident that the qualities he brought to our program will help him in bringing the Rutgers program to the upper echelon of the Big East. We thank him and wish him well."

Werneke, the 2006 and 2007 Anaconda Sports Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Coach of the Year, had an impressive six-year tenure at Fairfield. Under his tutelage the Stags notched four consecutive MAAC Regular Season titles as Werneke led them to the MAAC Championship final in each of the last four years. He has coached two MAAC Rookies of the Year, a MAAC Offensive Player, and back-to-back MAAC Setters of the Year. Werneke has also had 11 All-MAAC picks and multiple MAAC All-Academic selections under his guidance.

This past season, Werneke reached the 100 win plateau for his career and became Fairfield's all-time winningest coach. He forged a mark of 111-85 overall and had a record of 64-8 in conference play.

Fairfield went 21-13 overall in 2007 and posted a 17-1 mark in the conference.

A national search for his replacement will begin immediately.