I think we should go for an up and comer. I watched the mountain west tourney. The two coaches in the championship game are both up and comers. I like them both.

Rob Neilson - Utah State
https://utahstateaggies.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/coaches/rob-neilson/647

Rob Neilson is in his third season as the head coach at Utah State, having been hired as the 11th head coach of the program in January, 2020.

Neilson was named the 2021 Mountain West Coach of The Year after leading the Aggies to a share of the regular season conference title. USU finished the year with a 22-9 record, the most wins since 2010. Utah State posted 14 MW wins, the most since 2012, and 12 home victories, the most since 1979.

Neilson coached three Aggies to all-conference honors as middle blocker Corinne Larsen and outside hitters Tatum Stall and Kristy Frank were named to the all-MW team. Off the court, Utah State had 10 players earn academic all-MW honors and 10 were named MW Scholar-Athletes.

Neilson took over the USU role at a challenging time, facing issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Playing a condensed season of conference-only matches in the spring of 2021, he led the Aggies to a 5-10 record, more than doubling the team's win total from the previous year.

In the classroom, Utah State had 11 players earn academic all-MW honors and eight were named MW Scholar-Athletes.

Under Neilson, the Aggies saw improvement in nearly every statistical category over the 2020 season. At the conclusion of the season, middle blocker Corinne Larsen was named an honorable mention all-Mountain West selection.

Neilson came to Utah State with 14 years of coaching experience at the collegiate and international levels. He spent the last three years as the first assistant with the U.S. Men's National Team. He helped Team USA to a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships, the team's first medal finish in 24 years. In 2019, the team took silver at Volleyball Nations League and medaled in its last four major international competitions. In 2017, Neilson developed offensive game plans for the team before switching to the defensive side for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

Before joining Team USA, Neilson spent 10 seasons on the men's volleyball staff at BYU. He was an assistant coach under Shawn Patchell from 2006-10, serving as the team's recruiting coordinator and overseeing player development. He then spent the 2011 season as interim head coach, guiding the team to a 20-8 record and a No. 2 national ranking.

Neilson returned to an assistant coaching role at BYU in 2012 under Chris McGown, before being named associate head coach prior to the 2014 season. In that position, he continued overseeing recruiting and player development, adding in practice and game planning, scheduling and donor and alumni relations. He guided the Cougars to two conference championships and a second-place finish in the NCAA Tournament in 2013.
Neilson spent the summer of 2011 as an assistant coach for the USA Youth National Team, competing at the Pan-American Cup in Mexicali, Mexico and the Youth World Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He briefly stepped away from coaching in 2015, working with VolleyMetrics until he joined the U.S. Men's National Team staff.

Neilson played at BYU from 2003-06, where he was the starting setter in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. He helped the Cougars to the 2004 NCAA championship, and posted an overall record of 91-31 in his career. Neilson tallied 2,790 assists in his career, which ranks fifth in the BYU record book in the rally scoring era. Additionally, he is eighth in block solos, recording 28 in his career.

Neilson earned a bachelor's degree in neuroscience at BYU in 2006, while also completing his MBA there in 2013. He and his wife, Sarah, have five children, Etta, Liam, Charlotte, Whit and Lois.

Trent Kersten

https://sjsuspartans.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/coaches/trent-kersten/888

Trent Kersten returns for his third year at the helm of the Spartan program in 2022 after a very successful 2021 campaign.

The Spartans finished 2021 with a 19-10 overall record and 13-5 MW record. The 19 wins were the most by a San Jos State team in 15 years and the third time in five seasons that the program finished above .500. The 13 conference wins were the most MW wins in school history. The team finished in third place, the highest finish in the MW for the program and conference finish for a Spartan team since 1999-2001 when the team was second in the Western Athletic Conference each of those seasons.

He spent his first season navigating through a pandemic. Kersten led Spartans to a 7-9 overall record as the team played a Mountain West only schedule in the Spring of 2021. San Jos State was the only team in the conference that played all 16 matches scheduled.

The Spartans have also made a strong showing in the classroom during his tenure. The team has earned 12 Academic All-MW honors and 16 Mountain West Scholar Athlete recognitions. This past year, six players were named either San Jos State President's or Dean's Scholars.

Kersten was named the eighth head coach of the San Jos State women's volleyball program in February of 2020. He came to San Jos State after five seasons (2015-19) as a member of the TCU coaching staff where the team played in the postseason four of the five years. As the Recruiting Coordinator, his 2019 class was ranked fifth in the nation by Volleyball Magazine and sixth in the nation by Prep Volleyball.

Active in the USA Volleyball High Performance programs, he has assisted in developing athletes ranging in ages from 12-18. Kersten's 2019 team won a gold medal at the High Performance Championships and was selected to the 2020 U.S. Girls Youth National Training Team coaching staff as an assistant coach. He has assisted at the USA Volleyball Women's National Team Open Program tryouts and was an assistant coach at the 2021 USA Volleyball National Team Development Program Winter Training Series.

Kersten played three seasons at UCLA under legendary men's coaches Al Scates and John Speraw, the current USA Men's National Team Head Coach. A walk-on, he was a three-year starter and earned a scholarship during his playing career. A 2015 All-MPSF honorable mention selection, he ranked among the nation's top-15 in hitting percentage (.387) and blocks per set (1.08) his final year.

"Trent has my strong and enthusiastic support for this opportunity because of the integrity and work ethic he demonstrated as a player at UCLA and the passion and innovative thinking he brings to his coaching career. I am so proud of what he has accomplished in such a short time. The drive and thoughtfulness he brings to teaching is nothing short of inspirational. Congratulations to San Jos State and the women who will play for him. To the parents of those women, know that I would be honored to send my own daughters to play for him. I can offer no higher praise," said Speraw.

During his undergraduate years, Kersten worked in the UCLA Recruiting Department during the summer of 2014 and was a lead coach for three summers at the UCLA Summer Volleyball Camps.

Kersten has extensive experience working with club teams in California and Texas. He has been responsible for managing coaching staffs and working with budgets for each team.

Kersten graduated from UCLA in June of 2015 with a bachelor's degree in geography and environmental studies. He and his wife, Tara, are the proud parents of a daughter, Kolbie

As an update Neilson just won the Mountain West Tournament at Utah state and will get an auto bid to the NCAA Tournament. I really enjoyed watching his coaching over the last three days and you can tell the team loves him.

They swept the #5 seed, then swept the #1 seed, and beat the #2 team for the championship 3-1.

The convention is at Nationals in Omaha. It would be great to have a Head Coach by then, so they can interview assistant coaches at the convention.
There is a lot of competition this year for head coaches.

Harry Dunne said:

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Volpe would be a mistake.

Being an Aggie is a nice sidenote but shouldn't have a bearing on the hire.

She's having a good year, but if you're firing this coach to hire one that's going to win championships, then why would you hire someone Who has won 2 NCAA matches in 18 years?

She's perfect for Rice, but this isn't a coach who is going to take us to the next level.

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Interesting while true, dont you think at A&M she would be able to attract much better talent than at Rice? She has done pretty well with what she has been able to attract. By all accounts her players like playing for her as well, a players coach so to speak.

I really think it will be her or the UH coach. He picked a great year to have his best year. If I am not mistaken he was a trainer originally and has worked his way up into coaching. Not sure he has any playing experience or anything.

Maybe they go after Keegan Cook. I'm not sure exactly why - other than a hunch and a connection to A&M Volleyball. He married Sarah Ammerman.

I don't get to watch much PAC-10 volleyball. Seems like a pretty steady program which lands some big recruits. Perhaps a move to the SEC would get more exposure and help with recruiting.

We've got some work to do.

Yes, she would be able to get better players here, but that's not the point. The point is that she's not consistently at top of the similarly situated programs. She's doing well and she's a nice person by all accounts, but nothing she has done indicates she would be able to have a national championship caliber program if given the resources.

"Similarly situated programs" Rice is 105-21 since entering C-USA in conference matches..including 60-4 over the last three seasons...Rice is 39-1 in regular season C-USA games since 2018. Rice was 3-4 vs. Top-25 this year and was 24-0 vs all other programs. In the last three years, Rice is 2-1 vs. TexasU (which was always rated in the Top 3 in the nation when Rice played them)..Rice swept San Diego in the NCAA tournament last year and virtually that same team was 27-1 this year.

I hope she stays at Rice but her success is outstanding.

Wonder if we've found someone yet. IF we were waiting for the next head coach to be eliminated before announcing, only 16 left in the tournament. I'd take any of those for sure.

It wasn't so much of letting the corebellis go, it was the hiring of an unproven second banana off the Kansas coaching staff. And we see how that turned out. Just another assistant that couldn't make the transition. Also there is obviously something to be said for hiring a male head coach, since every volleyball championship team has had a man as head coach. No sense in fighting city hall.

Same thing with mark johnson. Let him go and hired second banana Rob Childress off the nebraska staff. Waited 16 years for 2 appearances in the CWS. Get tired of waiting, let him go, hired schloss and voila 2022 happens! We are finally in the game.

As far as the volleyball hire goes, it's go big or go home.

I think there was more to it than just that. I personally knew a few of the all Americans and there were questions of mismanagement of players health.

Maybe we just have to come to a conclusion that the round of 32/sweet 16 is our ceiling

A&M has their coach. I have a feeling it was someone involved in the tournament this weekend.

WestTxWood88 said:

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A&M has their coach. I have a feeling it was e
Someone involved in the tournament .

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e?

Typo. Edited now.

Well who is it and how do you know?

Yes, someone give the details! Assuming it will happen soon.

Houston is all seniors, so I kind of assume it is him. It's a great time to leave. Let's grab their libero and call it a day

She needs to be an Aggie...PRONTO!

Should also try to get Ty Warren's daughter who went to Purdue last year

Ole Miss makes their interim to full time official. Just twiddling my thumbs here in the Offseason Waiting Room ready to hear the nurse say "Texas A&M, Coach ??? will see you now."

I would rather get the right coach than the coach the fastest. Of course in this day and age being first to report rather than accurate is more important it seems.

We have time. I haven't heard of any of our players eneterint the portal likely because they are waiting to see who we bring in. Many players who have entered the portal are ones who know where they stand in the program they are currently in.

Know several Volleyball players at other programs around the state and their coaches told them that it had been filled when asked if their coaches were taking that job

Watching these other tournament matches and man do I wanna see us succeed so bad! I pray this coaching hire is the right one!

WestTxWood88 said:

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A&M has their coach. I have a feeling it was someone involved in the tournament this weekend.

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OK. Here's who played yesterday.

Saturday, Dec. 10 (regional finals)

• No. 1 Louisville 3, No. 3 Oregon 2
• No. 1 Texas 3, No. 3 Ohio State 1
• No. 2 Pitt 3, No. 1 Wisconsin 2
• No. 2 San Diego 3, No. 1 Stanford 2

If so my guess is Ohio State HC, San Diego HC or Louisville HC. Bjork likes to hire female coaches for female sports. And Ohio State is the only team that lost yesterday if that means anything about the ability to name a coach soon. OSU HC Wikipedia - Jen Flynn Oldenburg

Could also be somebody from Baylor, UofH, Minnesota, Kentucky, Marquette, etc from Sweet 16. Logic says it will be announced this week so that you can get the PR of them talking about it on national TV during the Final Four this coming weekend

I know we are all dreaming here. Going to be a tough sell to any of these coaches to leave their team for ours.

Here is my moonshot. What I noticed in the four games yesterday were the crowds. 3 out of the 4 had incredible crowds and atmosphere. 8700, 7200, 5300 attendance.

The 4th game? 3300. Lots of empty seats. The previous tournament game? 2100. What?! While this school has excellent athletics, their students and alumni don't care. Move that program to A&M, holy cow. We average around 2100 (my own guesstimate) with a cellar team.

So our next coach is Kevin Hambly of Stanford.

Doubt that it's Jen Flyn since is he is a OHio st grad