SMC California Athletics

Saint Mary's College Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Mike Matoso announced today the hiring of former United States National Team Head Coach Tyler Hildebrand as the next head coach to lead the volleyball program at Saint Mary's. 

Hildebrand becomes the ninth head coach in the program's history and comes to Saint Mary's with remarkable experience and accolades over his coaching and playing career.

"Tyler is a tremendous fit for Saint Mary's College and he has an unprecedented resume that will help bolster the program for many years to come," Matoso said. "We can't wait to welcome him and his wife Kristin and their family to campus. Going through the search process, Tyler was everything we were looking for in a candidate."

"I am thrilled to join Saint Mary's College as the Head Coach of the women's volleyball program. This is an incredible opportunity for me and my family to be part of a historic and beautiful university and build a program with great potential," Hildebrand said. "I want to thank Mike Matoso, Ryan Reggiani, and President Roger Thompson for trusting me and my family with this role and for their commitment to supporting the future of Gael athletics. Their vision, leadership, and commitment to excellence make this an exciting time to be part of Saint Mary's."

This past season, Hildebrand was an associate head coach at USC, after serving as head coach at Long Beach State in 2022-23. Hildebrand returned to his alma mater—Long Beach State—in December 2021 and led the Beach to a 40-19 record in two seasons. Following his second year, Hildebrand was chosen to the Volleyball Magazine list of up-and-coming Coaching Hotshots.

"Saint Mary's is a special place of high achieving individuals and a uniquely supportive community. These are values that deeply align with my vision for this team and program. I plan to very intentionally engage with Moraga and the surrounding communities with the hope that Saint Mary's be a program that inspires its fans to be proud and the youth of this wonderful area to dream big," Hildebrand said. "We are looking forward to getting to know the players and having a positive and transformative impact on them as athletes and as individuals. We will strive to create an environment where they can grow as individuals, teammates, and competitors, in that order. Building up a program takes time and I am ready and fired up to face that challenge. Our initial focus will be connecting and communicating with the current players, recruiting new players to compete and win the WCC, and putting a first-class staff together. Saint Mary's volleyball has a bright future, and we are excited to get to work. Go Gaels!"
 
Previously, Hildebrand was on staff at Nebraska for three seasons over the course of five years. The Cornhuskers reached the NCAA regional final in each his three campaigns (2017, '20, '21). In his first season in Lincoln, Hildebrand was responsible for a Nebraska defense that led the Big Ten in opponent hitting percentage (.154) and went on to win the 2017 NCAA championship with All-Americans Annika Albrecht and Mikaela Foecke.
 
In 2018, Hildebrand was selected to lead the USAV Beach National Team as the program's head coach and director of coaching. As the first individual ever to hold that position, Hildebrand's role was to identify and recruit athletes for the BNT, oversee all teams associated with USAV Beach, and serve as head coach for the program's top pairs.
 
On the sand, Hildebrand has coached the U.S. men's beach teams of Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson (2016 Rio Games), Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena (2020), and Gibb and Tri Bourne (2020); and women's pairs April Ross and Jennifer Kessy (USC All-Americans), Ross and Kerri Walsh Jennings, and Emily Day and Summer Ross. In 2020, Hildebrand coached the U.S. pair of Ross and Alix Klineman to gold medals at the Tokyo Games.
 
From 2018-19, Hildebrand served his second Olympic cycle and worked with the four American pairs that later represented the United States at the Tokyo Olympic Games. He had previously gone to the 2016 Rio Olympics as a coach while concurrently working at Long Beach State. Hildebrand has also served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Men's Indoor National Team.
 
Hildebrand returned to Nebraska in 2020 and helped the Huskers reach the regional final during the COVID-19 impacted spring season (played in 2021). In the fall of 2021, Hildebrand was promoted to associate head coach and helped guide a 10th-seeded Husker team to an NCAA runner-up finish.
 
Prior to his time at Nebraska, Hildebrand worked with the Long Beach State men's volleyball team as an assistant coach from 2013-15 and as the associate head coach from 2016-17. With Hildebrand on staff, LBSU reached the semifinals of the NCAA championship twice (2016, '17). In 2017, Hildebrand was honored as the AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year.
 
Hildebrand accepted his first coaching assignment as a volunteer assistant coach at Long Beach State in 2008 and helped the Beach win the MPSF Championship and earn the program's seventh NCAA tournament berth. Following that season, Hildebrand left coaching to focus on his professional playing career.

Hildebrand retired from playing in 2013 and joined the Long Beach State men's indoor volleyball staff as a full-time assistant coach. LBSU went 24-8 overall in his first season on the bench (2015) and made a return to the NCAA tournament in 2016. In 2017, Long Beach State reached the NCAA semifinal and finished the season ranked No. 3. TJ DeFalco was named the AVCA Player of the Year and setter Josh Tuaniga was named a first-team All-American under Hildebrand's direct tutelage.

As a student-athlete, Hildebrand was a four-year starting setter at Long Beach State (2003-06) and was the 2003 AVCA Newcomer of the Year as a freshman. He led LBSU to the NCAA championship match in 2004 and was named to the NCAA all-tournament team. Hildebrand is still (2024) the Long Beach State all-time career leader in assists and was a three-time first-team AVCA All-American (2004-06).
 
Following his collegiate career, Hildebrand went on to play for the U.S. Men's National Team over the course of six years (2006-12) and played on the AVP Tour for two years. During that period, Hildebrand helped the U.S. men win four Pan American Cup championships.