BYU's Olmstead MPSF Coach of the Year
April 27, 2016 2016 MPSF Men's Volleyball Coach of the Year-PDF Release
Brigham Young University head coach Shawn Olmstead guided the 2016 Cougars to their sixth MPSF Championship and automatic NCAA Tournament berth in his first season with the men's team, after coaching the BYU Women from 2011-14. An NCAA title this year would make Olmstead just the third coach in the 47-year history of NCAA Men's Volleyball to win a national championship in his first season. Through the MPSF Championship, BYU owns conference-highs of 26 wins and .897 win percentage, while posting the top overall (13-1) and conference (11-1) road records in the MPSF since 2007. BYU put together an incredible winning streak of 35 consecutive sets during a 13-match win streak from January 29-March 19, eight matches of which were played on the road.
Entering the NCAA Tournament, BYU is the 2016 MPSF and NCAA team leader in hitting percentage (.363) and blocks per set (3.13). Individually, MPSF Tournament MVP Ben Patch leads the conference and ranks third in the nation in kills per set (4.41), and is second in the MPSF and seventh in the NCAA in points per set (4.94). The Cougars also have two of the top-four blockers in the conference and nationally this year in Michael Hatch (1.40 b/s, MPSF/NCAA 3rd) and Price Jarman (1.32 b/s, MPSF/NCAA 4th). Patch, Hatch, Jarman, along with Brenden Sander, Jake Langlois, and Leo Durkin were each named to this year's all-conference teams, while BYU placed a high of three players on the first-team (Patch, Langlois, Sander).
Olmstead becomes the fourth MPSF Coach of the Year from BYU Men's Volleyball (Chris McGown, 2013; Tom Peterson, Co-2003; Carl McGown, 2001, 1999). Olmstead previously earned the 2014 AVCA Women's National Coach of the Year award when he led the Cougars to the NCAA Championship match, in addition to 2014 and 2012 South Region and West Coast Conference Coach of the Year honors. His 2014 BYU Women's team featured three All-Americans on the roster. As a libero at BYU, Olmstead helped his teams to NCAA Championships in 2001 and 2004, along with another title match appearance in 2003.