University Southern California Trojans
JJ Van Niel Named Arizona State Volleyball Head Coach
December 29, 2022 | Women's Volleyball
The Trojans’ longtime associate head coach will take over the Sun Devils’ program in 2023
LOS ANGELES – JJ Van Niel—USC women's volleyball's associate head coach for the last five seasons—has been named the head coach at Arizona State, ASU Vice President for University Athletics Ray Anderson announced on Thursday, Dec. 29.
"This opportunity for JJ is not a surprise," said USC head coach Brad Keller. "Arizona State is getting one of the best coaches in the game. JJ has come full circle and his experience in the sport of volleyball has prepared him for this job. I have had the honor of working with him during arguably the most difficult time in both our professional careers. Having watched him grow as a leader, a mentor, a friend, and a role model has been nothing short of impressive. JJ's dedication and loyalty has been one of the main pillars that I credit with moving our program forward. He is ready for this opportunity, and I cannot wait to witness what he brings to the Arizona State program."
Van Niel came to USC in 2018 and under former head coach Brent Crouch helped the Trojans to a 40-25 overall record and back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances for the program's 29th straight berth (37th all-time) in 2019. Following Crouch's departure, Van Niel was retained by Keller and served three more seasons as the program's associate head coach from 2020-22 se he helped guide the Women of Troy to a berth in the 2022 NCAA tournament and a fourth-place finish in the Pac-12.
"I'd like to thank Brad Keller and USC Athletics for the opportunity I've had the last five years," said Van Niel. "The relationships I've forged and the experience I've gained while at USC will leave a lasting mark on me both personally and in my career. While leaving a place like USC is never easy, I am humbled and excited for what the future holds at Arizona State and am ready to hit the ground running. Fight On and Forks Up!"
Previously, Van Niel served as an assistant coach at Utah for two seasons (2015-16) before he was promoted to associate head coach for the 2017 season. He helped the Utes to a 20-12 record in 2016 and a 24-10 mark in 2017 as Utah advanced to the NCAA regional semifinal for just the third time in program history. Prior to Utah, Van Niel was a consultant coach and scout for the U.S. Women's National Team, where he also served as a team leader and assisted in group training since 2013. While with the USWNT, Van Niel was responsible for coordinating and performing data analysis, game planning, and assistance during on-court practices.
Van Niel helped lead Team USA to a fourth-place finish at the 2013 U23 World Championships, a silver-medal finish at the 2014 VolleyMasters and a gold medal at the 2014 World Championships. In 2016, he served as a scout coach for the U.S. Women's National Team at the Rio Olympic Games. Van Niel was also an assistant coach for the UC San Diego men's program from 2011-14 and was head coach at La Costa Canyon High School in 2014. Prior to his stint as head coach, he served in various capacities at LCCHS.
Van Niel's coaching education includes being a USA Volleyball CAP Level III coach, working at the USA Volleyball High Performance Coaching Clinic, and having completed both Gold Medal Square Level I and II programs. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance, Cum Laude, from the USC Marshall School of Business in 1998. He then spent 12 years in the financial world (two in investment banking in San Francisco, four at a distressed debt hedge fund in Los Angeles, and six at an activist hedge fund in San Diego) before entering the volleyball-coaching field.
In Van Niel's fifth season on staff, USC (22-11) finished fourth in the Pac-12 standings (13-7) and was awarded one of 32 at-large berths into the 2022 NCAA tournament. The Women of Troy defeated High Point in the first round of the tourney but were eliminated by 10th-ranked site host Ohio State. It was the first NCAA tournament victory for third-year head coach Brad Keller and the program's first appearance in the tourney since 2019.
For more information on the USC women's volleyball team, please visit USCTrojans.com/WVB. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
"This opportunity for JJ is not a surprise," said USC head coach Brad Keller. "Arizona State is getting one of the best coaches in the game. JJ has come full circle and his experience in the sport of volleyball has prepared him for this job. I have had the honor of working with him during arguably the most difficult time in both our professional careers. Having watched him grow as a leader, a mentor, a friend, and a role model has been nothing short of impressive. JJ's dedication and loyalty has been one of the main pillars that I credit with moving our program forward. He is ready for this opportunity, and I cannot wait to witness what he brings to the Arizona State program."
Van Niel came to USC in 2018 and under former head coach Brent Crouch helped the Trojans to a 40-25 overall record and back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances for the program's 29th straight berth (37th all-time) in 2019. Following Crouch's departure, Van Niel was retained by Keller and served three more seasons as the program's associate head coach from 2020-22 se he helped guide the Women of Troy to a berth in the 2022 NCAA tournament and a fourth-place finish in the Pac-12.
"I'd like to thank Brad Keller and USC Athletics for the opportunity I've had the last five years," said Van Niel. "The relationships I've forged and the experience I've gained while at USC will leave a lasting mark on me both personally and in my career. While leaving a place like USC is never easy, I am humbled and excited for what the future holds at Arizona State and am ready to hit the ground running. Fight On and Forks Up!"
Previously, Van Niel served as an assistant coach at Utah for two seasons (2015-16) before he was promoted to associate head coach for the 2017 season. He helped the Utes to a 20-12 record in 2016 and a 24-10 mark in 2017 as Utah advanced to the NCAA regional semifinal for just the third time in program history. Prior to Utah, Van Niel was a consultant coach and scout for the U.S. Women's National Team, where he also served as a team leader and assisted in group training since 2013. While with the USWNT, Van Niel was responsible for coordinating and performing data analysis, game planning, and assistance during on-court practices.
Van Niel helped lead Team USA to a fourth-place finish at the 2013 U23 World Championships, a silver-medal finish at the 2014 VolleyMasters and a gold medal at the 2014 World Championships. In 2016, he served as a scout coach for the U.S. Women's National Team at the Rio Olympic Games. Van Niel was also an assistant coach for the UC San Diego men's program from 2011-14 and was head coach at La Costa Canyon High School in 2014. Prior to his stint as head coach, he served in various capacities at LCCHS.
Van Niel's coaching education includes being a USA Volleyball CAP Level III coach, working at the USA Volleyball High Performance Coaching Clinic, and having completed both Gold Medal Square Level I and II programs. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance, Cum Laude, from the USC Marshall School of Business in 1998. He then spent 12 years in the financial world (two in investment banking in San Francisco, four at a distressed debt hedge fund in Los Angeles, and six at an activist hedge fund in San Diego) before entering the volleyball-coaching field.
In Van Niel's fifth season on staff, USC (22-11) finished fourth in the Pac-12 standings (13-7) and was awarded one of 32 at-large berths into the 2022 NCAA tournament. The Women of Troy defeated High Point in the first round of the tourney but were eliminated by 10th-ranked site host Ohio State. It was the first NCAA tournament victory for third-year head coach Brad Keller and the program's first appearance in the tourney since 2019.
For more information on the USC women's volleyball team, please visit USCTrojans.com/WVB. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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