CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois volleyball head coach Chris Tamas announced the elevation of Jen Tamas to assistant coach on Wednesday following the NCAA’s coaching limit increase.
“It’s very important to have trust on our staff and within our team. For the last 10 years, I’ve been able to work beside the best volunteer assistant in the country,” Chris Tamas stated. Jen’s playing career was filled with many accolades and accomplishments including being a four-time AVCA All-American, a 10-year USA Volleyball career (many as captain), highlighted by a 2008 Olympic Silver in Beijing. As unbiased as I can say, her ability to understand player and team dynamics at the highest level is second to none, as well as her passion for the game. She will continue to be a great role model for any player that comes through our program and excited that she will have a bigger role than she already has had moving forward.”
Passed in January 2023, the Division I Council moved forward to modernize rules for coaching limits across several sports. The Council voted to eliminate the voluntary coach designation across Division I, instead including those coaches within a new limit for countable coaches in each of the applicable sports.
“The last seven years as a volunteer has been very fulfilling and we have had some amazing results both on and off the court with our players and program,” Jen Tamas said. “I believe in what we are doing here. Whether it’s helping to mentor the next Olympian or teaching the players how to be a great teammate on the court or in life, I am more than thrilled to spend more time with the staff and the team and take on an expanded role.”
Jen Tamas initially joined her husband at Illinois following volunteer assistant stints with him at Nebraska from 2015-2017 and at Cal Poly from 2013-14.
The former Jen Joines was a four-time All-American middle blocker at Pacific (2000-03). She played professionally for eight years in Japan, Italy, Russia, Azerbaijan and Puerto Rico and was the U.S. Women’s National Team captain for four years.
As a middle blocker with the United States Women’s National Team, Jen Tamas made more than 60 appearances in eight years. She assisted the U.S. to silver at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, and helped lift the country to gold at the 2012 Pan-American Cup.
Jen Tamas was the 2003 Big…
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