Heather Olmstead Named National Coach of the Year

MINNEAPOLIS - A 31-1 overall record, a No. 1 national ranking and an NCAA Tournament run to the Final Four are just a few of the reasons BYU women's volleyball coach Heather Olmstead was named the 2018 USMC/AVCA Coach of the Year on Thursday.

In her fourth season as head coach, Olmstead has led the Cougars to the program's third Final Four appearance in what has been arguably the most successful season in program history. BYU won its first 27 games of the year to rank No. 1 for 11-straight weeks during the regular season. In the NCAA Tournament, BYU has defeated Stony Brook, Utah, Florida and Texas to earn a trip to Minneapolis, two wins away from a national title.

Also the West Coast Conference and Pacific South Region Coach of the Year, Olmstead has had six players named All-America, six named All-Region and five named All-WCC this year, all of which are program records for a single season. In addition, three players were named Academic All-District and one was awarded Academic All-American honors. 

Olmstead has guided BYU to WCC championships and at least two wins in the NCAA Tournament each of her four years at the helm. Currently holding a record of 118-12 (.908), Olmstead has the highest winning percentage of any women's volleyball coach in NCAA Division I history (min. one season) and in NCAA history in any division (min. three seasons).

Olmstead is the second BYU women's volleyball coach to earn AVCA Coach of the Year, joining her brother, Shawn, who received the honor the last time BYU reached the Final Four in 2014. Olmstead was the associate head coach under Shawn that season. 

Olmstead and the Cougars are set to face No. 1 Stanford on Thursday, Dec. 13, at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN with the winner qualifying for the national championship game on Saturday.