The San Jose, California, native has coached the Venice High School volleyball team for the past 29 seasons, building one of the state's top volleyball programs from scratch. Compiling an impressive record.

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Coach Wheatley teaches PE at Venice High, he received a BS degree in PE from Auburn University in 1994 and his MA in 1999. He learned the game of volleyball growing up on the beaches of California. He played two years at San Jose State University (finished 9th in the country), one year for the club team at Auburn, and four years in the NCVA, a two-man grass tour that travels throughout California.

 

Off the court, Wheatley stresses academics as much as athletics, having helped more than 60 student-athletes receive volleyball scholarships at the collegiate level. In addition, 18 of his former players have gone into the volleyball coaching field. In 2008 and 2009, Venice was named the FHSAA Academic State Champions for their work in the classroom.

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Coach Wheatley has been voted Sarasota Herald Tribune "Coach of the Year" by area coaches 11 times. He was also named the FHSAA 7A Florida Coach of the year in 2014, and Class 6A Coach of the Year in 2012. Brian was inducted into the FHSAA Hall of Fame in September of 2017. He is also a member of the USA Volleyball Florida Region Hall of Fame and is the youngest inductee into the Venice Sports Hall of Fame.

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Brian is married to his beautiful wife, Lisa, a Principal at Lakeview Elementary, and is the father of Brooke, 22 who  graduated from Auburn University and lives in Nashville, and Luke, 20, who is currently attending Auburn University.