Power of the Pen

This past week, we have seen some big moves in the coaching world. After 25 years, John Cook is retiring from Nebraska Volleyball and has brought in former Nebraska player and Louisville Coach Dani Busboom Kelly to be his successor. This means Louisville’s former assistant coach, Dan Meske, has now taken the reigns as head coach of the Cardinals. For Nebraska and Louisville, there is no better fit than DBK and Meske to be at the helm of these two programs; in this case, the transition was quick and smooth. Assistant coaches Jaylen Reyes and Kelly Hunter will remain on the Husker staff under DBK and Todd Chamberlain and CC McGraw will continue under Meske at U of L. However, coaching transitions are rarely this straightforward and have a much larger ripple effect than the media portrays.

When a coach decides to leave their program, the power of one signature changes the lives of so many people beyond just them. Let’s use the example of Ray Bechard retiring after 27 years at Kansas. The big headlines you see are about Bechard and Matt Ulmer taking over the program, but this one coaching change can ripple out and affect the staff and players of countless programs around the country. The most obvious result that everyone sees is how it affects the players. Since Ulmer’s move, we have seen current Oregon players (Mimi Colyer, Mia Tvrdy, Sophia Gregoire, Noemie Glover, Cristin Cline) take to the portal whether it’s to follow Ulmer to Kansas or choose a completely new place to call home. This trend has continued with Oregon's future 2025 and 2026 classes as well with Logan Bell and Tessa Dodd making moves. These players making switches send a ripple effect into the volleyball world. For instance, their arrival at a new program could lead to current players transferring out to avoid competition. The signature of one coach also affects the entire supporting staffs of multiple programs. You may have 8-10 coaches and families finding themselves stepping into bigger responsibilities at their current program or, in some cases, moving across the country for a new coaching opportunity. Oregon has yet to announce a new head coach, which means there may be more change to come regarding the Oregon coaching staff. In addition to them, during our interview with Matt Ulmer which can be found on our VBAdrenaline podcast, he stated that they are “still weighing through [their] coaching staff,” which means we could see some changes in the supporting staff at KU as well.

The cycle is never-ending. As one coach steps down, it opens an opportunity for someone to step in, but it also leaves so many others in new and vulnerable positions. The impact of just one signature extends far beyond the immediate team and staff, and it can very quickly turn into an ongoing ripple of change within the college volleyball world.