TEMPE – Sun Devil Volleyball has a new leader as JJ Van Niel has been announced as the ninth head coach in program history, as announced by Vice President of University Athletics Ray Anderson.
“We are excited to welcome JJ to Tempe,” Anderson said. “His background is fantastic on so many levels and he has been a part of building a program and getting it back to where it belongs. His work in the USA volleyball community, his tremendous Pac-12 knowledge and his understanding of what we aspire to achieve with our volleyball program makes him the ideal fit for ASU.”
Van Niel comes to Tempe after five seasons at USC, most recently as the associate head coach. While with the Trojans, he helped the team to three NCAA Tournament appearances (2018, 2019, 2022), advancing to the second round in each of those.
“I am so grateful and excited to be named the head coach of the Arizona State University volleyball program,” Van Niel said. “Tempe has always been one of my favorite road trips due to the passion and pride the city has for ASU and for its athletic teams. Throughout the interview process, it became clear that the athletic department and school are invested in making this program great and in providing its student athletes with an amazing experience. I want to thank Ray, Christina, Graham and the entire search committee for this opportunity. My family and I are looking forward to immersing ourselves in the community and I can’t wait to get started building this program.”
In addition to tournament appearances, Van Niel helped coach five AVCA All-Americans, most recently Skylar Fields (first team). There have also been 10 all-region nods and 18 All-Pac-12 honorees during his tenure. Van Niel helped coach two USC teams to 22-win seasons (2018 and 2022).
“This opportunity for JJ is not a surprise,” USC Head Coach Brad Keller said. “He has come full circle and has been through an enormous amount of valuable experiences which have prepared him for this job. I have had the honor of working with him during arguably the most difficult time in our professional careers. Watching him grow as a leader, mentor, friend and role model has been nothing short of impressive. His dedication and loyalty has been one of the…
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