Utah State University Athletics

Grayson DuBose is entering his 14th season as Utah State’s head volleyball coach after being hired on March 27, 2006. 

In his 13 years at USU, DuBose (pronounced Do-Boze) has coached two All-Americans and 25 all-conference selections. Off the court, his student-athletes have earned academic all-conference honors a total of 115 times, while six have been academic all-district recipients. He enters the 2019 season as the longest tenured coach in USU volleyball history and is second on the all-time wins list with 187.

“I consider it a distinguished honor to be the head coach of the Utah State University volleyball program. My family and I love Logan and the University, and we’re proud to call this place home,” DuBose said. “During my time here, I have deeply enjoyed sharing the passion for the sport of volleyball with not just our student-athletes, but our staff, administration and community.”

Kassidy Johnson represented the Aggies on the all-Mountain West teams in 2018, as she earned honorable mention accolades. The senior setter finished the year with 944 total assists, averaging 8.43 per set to rank fourth in the league. In the classroom, 10 student-athletes earned academic all-MW honors, and seven were named MW Scholar-Athletes. USU also earned its fifth-straight AVCA Team Academic Award and was named to the Team Academic Honor Roll with a 3.69 GPA to rank among the top 25 Division I teams.

In 2017, the Aggies posted a winning record of 16-14, going 8-10 in MW play. DuBose mentored Lauren Anderson to her second consecutive all-MW recognition as the senior outside hitter finished second in the league in both kills per set (4.13) and points per set (4.68). The Aggies opened the year with their best start since 2010, going 11-4 over the first 15 matches, including a perfect 3-0 mark in league play. Utah State was also strong academically, as 11 student-athletes earned academic all-MW honors, while seven earned MW Scholar-Athlete accolades. As a team, USU earned its fourth AVCA Team Academic Award.

DuBose led the 2016 Aggies to eight more victories than the previous season. The USU offense was especially sound as the team recorded a school-record .238 hitting percentage (1,465-562-3,797). Additionally, Utah State finished among the top four of the Mountain West in kills, assists and digs. Anderson went on to earn all-Mountain West honors at the end of the season, leading the team with 377 kills and finishing among the top 10 in the MW with 3.52 kills per set. Off the court, USU student-athletes also found success as 10 Aggies were named academic all-conference. Additionally, five more were named MW Scholar Athletes, while the team earned the AVCA Team Academic Award.

In 2015, DuBose captured his 150th victory as head coach of the Aggies in a 3-1 win over Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 19. Nine student-athletes received academic all-Mountain West honors, while five were named MW Scholar Athletes. Together, the team qualified for the AVCA Team Academic Award for the second time.

In 2014, DuBose led the Aggie volleyball program into new territory, as USU opened up a new volleyball competition facility, Kirby Court at the Wayne Estes Center. DuBose had an integral voice in the design and layout of the new facility, which includes space for a competition court, two practice courts, team film room, team lounge, team locker room, strength and conditioning center, meeting rooms, coaches offices and an athletic training room. The new facility saw the Aggies go 7-6 at home, marking the ninth consecutive year that USU had a winning record at home under DuBose. Individually, DuBose mentored senior Kaitlyn VanHoff to all-Mountain West honors, in addition to his charges earning nine academic all-MW citations and six MW Scholar-Athlete accolades. As a team, the Aggies were awarded their first AVCA Team Academic Award.

DuBose led Utah State into the Mountain West in 2013, where the Aggies posted a 20-11 overall and 13-7 conference record. The 20-win season was the second in a row and third in the last four years, all under DuBose, and also marked the first time that USU had posted back-to-back 20-win seasons since 2000-01. USU also had success in the classroom in 2013, earning seven academic all-MW honors and five MW Scholar-Athlete accolades.

Under DuBose’s leadership, USU notched the 600th all-time win in program history with its first victory of the 2013 season. Sophomore opposite side hitter Elle Brainard capped the season by becoming the first Aggie volleyball player to earn all-Mountain West honors.

In 2012, DuBose led USU to the regular-season Western Athletic Conference title, as the Aggies collected nine conference postseason awards, including DuBose being named WAC Coach of the Year, while redshirt freshman Brainard was tabbed WAC Freshman of the Year. The Coach of the Year award was DuBose’s second as head coach of the Aggies and the first time in school history that a USU volleyball coach had earned multiple Coach of the Year honors. Paige Neves, Rachel Orr, Shay Sorensen and Josselyn White all earned first-team all-WAC honors, while Brainard and VanHoff were tabbed to the second team. Brainard was also named to the all-freshmen team.

USU’s three first-team honorees in 2012 were the most in its eight years in the WAC and only the second time in school history to earn three first-team all-conference honors, joining 2000, when three Aggies collected first-team all-Big West Conference honors in Amy Crosbie, Denae Mohlman and Melissa Schoepf.

Utah State’s five all-conference selections in 2012 were also the most during its time in the WAC, as well as the most since having five Big West honorees in 2001, including Neves’ older sister, Chelsi, who was a first-team selection with Michelle Matheson. Three other Aggies also earned honorable mention all-Big West honors.

Utah State’s block was especially strong in 2012 as the team finished ninth in the nation with 3.00 blocks per set, continuing a tradition of being among the national leaders. The trend followed the 2011 team that ranked 10th with 2.79 blocks per set and the 2010 team that ranked ninth with 2.89 blocks per set. The 2012 season was also another well-decorated one off the court, as eight Aggie players earned academic all-WAC accolades.

Under DuBose’s leadership in 2011, Sorensen and Liz McArthur earned all-WAC honors, while Paige Neves was named to the all-freshman team. Off the court, the Aggies also had noteworthy success with eight players earning academic all-WAC honors, including McArthur earning first-team CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII honors for the second-straight year.

Utah State had one of its best seasons in school history in 2010, winning its first-ever WAC Tournament Championship and advancing to its fourth NCAA Tournament in school history. Overall, Utah State became just the third team in the history of the WAC to win its tournament championship as it was the first school in 11 years to defeat perennial power Hawai’i in the championship match. USU finished the year with a 24-9 record, including a third-place conference finish with a 9-7 league mark. Those 24 wins in 2010 were not only the seventh-most in school history, but the most since 1982. Utah State also had four players earn all-WAC honors during the season, including McArthur, who was named to the first team. McArthur was also named the Most Valuable Player of the 2010 WAC Tournament and went on to earn American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) honorable mention All-American honors. USU also had seven players earn academic all-WAC honors that year, while senior middle blocker Katie Astle joined McArthur on the academic all-district team. DuBose also received national attention in 2010, as he was named one of five finalists for the Collegiate Volleyball Update National Coach of the Year award.

The 2008 and 2009 squads combined for 26 victories. Four Aggies earned all-conference accolades in 2008 with eight more earning academic all-WAC honors. In 2009, McArthur was awarded the first of three all-WAC citations in her career and was one of nine Aggies recognized with academic all-WAC honors.

DuBose also had plenty of success during the 2007 season as he led Utah State to a 17-13 record and a third-place conference finish with an 11-5 mark. Among those 11 league victories was one of the biggest wins in school history as USU posted a three-set sweep at No. 10 Hawai’i, snapping a 108-match home conference winning streak for the Rainbow Wahine.

Following the 2007 season, DuBose had four players recognized by the WAC as senior Amanda Nielson was named first-team all-conference and an AVCA honorable mention All-American, while setter Chelsea Fowles was named the Freshman of the Year in the WAC. DuBose was also honored in 2007 as he became the first volleyball coach in school history to garner conference Coach of the Year honors.

In his first season at the helm of the Aggie program, DuBose posted a 13-9 overall record, going 6-10 in WAC play. Nielson earned second-team all-WAC honors, while six student-athletes earned academic all-WAC accolades.

In his 13 complete seasons at the helm of the Aggie program, DuBose has a 187-205 (.477) record, coaching his 300th career match as head coach vs. San Diego State on Nov. 14, 2015. DuBose earned his 100th career win with the Aggies’ victory against Seattle on Sept. 20, 2012. DuBose became just the second coaching position to reach 100 wins, as Marilyn McReavy and Mary Jo Peppler hold the school record with 209 wins, as co-head coaches from 1976-81. USU has won 20 matches a total of 12 times in school history, including three times under DuBose in the 2010, 2012 and 2013 seasons.

Prior to accepting the head coaching position at Utah State, DuBose spent four seasons (2003-06) as an assistant on BYU’s men’s volleyball team, helping the Cougars win the national title in 2004, and a second-place finish at the 2003 NCAA Tournament. DuBose helped lead the Cougars’ men’s program to a 90-30 (.750) record in his time there, coaching nine All-Americans, including the 2004 NCAA Player of the Year.

DuBose began his collegiate coaching career at Utah State from 1999-2000 as an assistant to Tom Peterson. During that time, the Aggies won the Eastern Division of the Big West Conference in 1999 and advanced to the school’s first-ever NCAA Tournament in 2000, defeating Missouri in the first round. USU finished the 2000 season ranked 22nd in the country, the program’s first-ever top 25 ranking. 

DuBose began his coaching career as an assistant at Brighton High School in Sandy, Utah, from 1997-98 and also assisted with the Cache Valley Juniors and the Mountain West Volleyball Club during that time period. Following his two-year stint at Utah State, DuBose spent one year as an assistant to Peterson at the University of New Mexico, working with the women’s program, before following Peterson to BYU. 

DuBose played two years of collegiate volleyball at Golden West Community College in Huntington Beach, Calif., after graduating from Edison High School in Huntington Beach, where he earned all-county honors his senior season.

DuBose graduated from BYU  with a degree in history in 1993 and then received his teaching certificate from Utah State in 1995. He and his wife, Lenonnie, have three children, Kline, Cassandra and Jackson.