Shawn Olmstead is an American volleyball head coach for the BYU Cougars men's volleyball team. He previously served as head coach for the women's volleyball team. In 2014, he was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association Coach of the Year.[1] His sister, Heather Olmstead, coaches the BYU Cougars women's volleyball team.[2]

Shawn Olmstead
Current position
TitleHead Coach
TeamBYU men's
ConferenceMountain Pacific Sports Federation
Record138-51 (.730)
Biographical details
BornCarpinteria, California, US
Alma materBrigham Young University
Playing career
2000–2004BYU Cougars
Position(s)Libero
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2005–06Cal Poly (assistant)
2006–08Utah State (assistant)
2008–11BYU women's (assistant)
2011–15BYU women's
2015–presentBYU men's
Head coaching record
Overall241-76 (.760)
Tournaments13–7 (.650)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
West Coast Conference championships (2012, 14)
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championships (2016, 17, 18, 20, 21)
Awards
2014 American Volleyball Coaches Association Coach of the Year

Personal life

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Olmstead is one of seven children born to parents Rick and Trudy Olmstead and is the only boy in the family. Olmstead is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a mission for the Church in Mendoza, Argentina from 1997 to 1999. Olmstead is married to former Cougar Farrah Hofheins, and they have three daughters and a son.

Career

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High school

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Olmstead attended Carpinteria High School for four years. Prior to his junior year he played club volleyball in Santa Barbara because Carpinteria didn't have a boys volleyball team. During his junior year he helped start the boys volleyball team. He went on to be a two-year starter and was awarded an MVP award. He also set a school record for kills in a single match.[3]

BYU College Years

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After graduating from Carpinteria High School, Olmstead was brought to BYU where he played on the BYU Cougars men's volleyball team from 2000 until 2004 while majoring in Spanish Education with a minor in Sociology.[4] During three of his four seasons BYU made the national championship, winning it twice in 2001 and 2004.[5] During his senior season Olmstead started at libero, recorded the third-most digs in a single season (230) in school history, and earned Mountain Pacific Sports Federation All-Tournament honors.

He graduated from BYU in 2004 and joined the coaching staff at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2005 where he also served as recruiting coordinator. During that lone season he helped turn the Mustangs from a 5–24 team to a 19–6 record. The following April Olmstead moved back to Utah where he joined the Utah State Aggies coaching staff for an additional two seasons.[6]

BYU Coaching

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In 2008, Olmstead returned to BYU to help revitalize the women's volleyball team. After 4 years Olmstead was offered the position of head coach when Shay Goulding resigned.[7] He agreed upon the condition that Heather be allowed to come on as his assistant.[8] The two worked together for four seasons until he moved over to the men's team.

During his time as head coach Olmstead has led BYU to the national championship match 4 times (one women's, three men's) as well as coached numerous All-Americans. Shawn attributes the success to being willing to learn.[4]

Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
BYU women's (West Coast Conference) (2011–2014)
2011 BYU 21–9 10–6 3rd
2012 BYU 28–4 13–3 1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2013 BYU 24–7 15–3 2nd NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2014 BYU 30–5 16–2 1st National Runner–Up
BYU men's (Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) (2016–present)
2016 BYU 27–4 19–3 1st National Runner–Up
2017 BYU 26–5 16–2 T–1st National Runner–Up
2018 BYU 22–7 10–2 1st NCAA Final Four
2019 BYU 13–12 6–6 T–4th
2020 BYU 17–1 6–0 1st No Tournament, COVID-19 pandemic
2021 BYU 20–4 17–3 1st National Runner-Up
2022 BYU 8-17 3-9 T-6th
2023 BYU 5-1
BYU: 241-76 (.760) 131-39 (.771)
Total: 241-76 (.760)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

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  1. ^ "BYU coach Shawn Olmstead named AVCA National Division 1 Coach of the Year". Deseret News. December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2014.
  2. ^ "Siblings named BYU head volleyball coaches". Daily Universe. July 8, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  3. ^ Noe Padilla (November 11, 2020). "Olmstead's athletic career shines at BYU". Coastal View. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Shawn Olmstead well-groomed for his post as BYU men's volleyball head coach". Deseret News. January 31, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
  5. ^ "BYU volleyball heads to National Championship with experience". KTVX. May 3, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  6. ^ "Shawn Olmstead Named Assistant Volleyball Coach". utahstateaggies.com. April 4, 2006. Retrieved April 4, 2006.
  7. ^ "Goulding resigns, Olmstead promoted as women's volleyball coach". Daily Universe. June 28, 2011. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
  8. ^ "BYU volleyball: Heather Olmstead named associate head women's volleyball coach". Deseret News. January 14, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
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