LOGAN, Utah – With the Utah State volleyball team under the direction of a new coaching staff, the Aggies were working hard in the gym through spring practice when the world turned upside down.
While the first few months on the job have not gone the way they expected, the new staff is making the most of the time outside of the gym.
Rob Neilson was named the 11th head coach of the USU volleyball program this January. He joined the Aggies after a stint as an assistant coach with the U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team. In all, Neilson has 14 years of coaching experience, including 10 total seasons with the BYU men's team. He spent two years out of coaching, working for VolleyMetrics.
A native of Pacific Palisades, Calif., Neilson played at BYU from 2003-06, where he was the starting setter in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. He helped the Cougars to the 2004 NCAA championship, and the team posted an overall record of 91-31 in his career. Neilson tallied 2,790 assists in his career, which ranks fifth all-time in the BYU record books in the rally scoring era. Additionally, he is eighth in block solos, recording 28 in his career. Neilson earned a bachelor's degree in neuroscience at BYU in 2006, while also completing his MBA there in 2013. He and his wife, Sarah, have five children, Etta, Liam, Charlotte, Whit and Lois.
We recently caught up with Neilson for a Q&A.
Q: You're a few months into the job, how are things going?
Neilson: I love the players, our staff dynamic has been better than I could have hoped for, the other coaches in the athletic department have been great to us, I love the beauty of the campus and community, our facilities are first-rate and I love the challenge of changing expectations and creating a vision and a process for future success. Being shut down is unfortunate, but the team is dedicated to creatively figuring out ways to move us forward.
Q: With limited spring practice time, what have you done to get to know and work with the team?
Neilson: We had skill instruction in late January and trained most of February. The team was rapidly progressing. As part of player development, we meet with each player two times per week – once to organize skill development goals for the week and once to exercise our "idea muscles" and discuss ways they would improve the many different aspects of our program. It has been wonderful to observe their personalities, to watch them grow more confident amidst competition and to see them learn to execute new systems.
Q: What is your philosophy for the program heading into your first season?
Neilson: I believe that we will win. #rallythehurd #aggiesontherise #aggiessow
Q: You came to Utah State off a stint with the U.S. Men's National Team, and have coached men's teams at the collegiate level. What made you want to return to the college game and switch to the women's side?
Neilson: There is nothing better than college coaching. We learn from, teach, challenge and mentor young people from the time they are in their mid-teens (camps and recruiting) until they graduate in their early 20s. Is there any other profession so lucky as to build relationships with youth for such a sustained amount of time? Their desire to be great, their love of life and one another, their idealism and their energy is a blessing to me, Sarah and our children. The national team was a wonderful experience, where we competed with the most accomplished players on earth to be the best in the world. There are infinite lessons to be learned about sacrifice, resilience, toughness and my own strengths and weaknesses. However, I LOVE being back in the college ranks.
Q: What did you look for while making your assistant coach hiring decisions
Neilson: I wanted a hard-working, dedicated, fun-loving staff who are passionate about the game of volleyball and teaching fundamentals. Tyson (Norton), Chloe (Hirst), Mike (Wilton) and Madeline (Dolny) have far-exceeded my expectations. Volleyball season is a grind, it's stressful and it's exhilarating, and I couldn't think of a better group of people to spend hundreds and thousands of hours with.
Q: What are you looking forward to the most about being at Utah State and living in Cache Valley?
Neilson: Becoming a True Aggie.
Q: What is your favorite way to fill your free time outside of coaching?
Neilson: That's a trick question, there is no free time outside of coaching. I love to play with our five wonderful kids and be with an amazing woman, who sacrifices daily to make life abundant. We love all things outdoors (winter or summer) and I'm learning to garden.
Q: If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Neilson: Sarah is a classically trained chef, so whatever she is cooking tonight, I could eat for the rest of my life.
Fans can follow the Aggie volleyball program on Twitter, @USUVolleyball, on Facebook at /USUVolleyball or on Instagram, @usuvolleyball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
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