SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga Director of Athletics Chris Standiford announced that Katie Wilson has been hired as head coach of the volleyball team Wednesday.
Wilson arrives in Spokane after having spent the last seven seasons at the University of Notre Dame. In 2018, she was elevated to Associate Head Coach for the Fighting Irish. She has spent five of the last six seasons with setting, passing, outside hitters and offensive coordinator as her primary coaching responsibility. Wilson replaces Diane Nelson who recently resigned from Gonzaga.
"I am honored and incredibly grateful to be named the head coach of Gonzaga volleyball," Wilson said. "I believe Gonzaga can become a volleyball program that competes at the highest level. When I met with the team, while we were going through the interview process, I knew I wanted to coach them. They were hungry for knowledge, asked wonderful questions, and it was clear they wanted to be pushed. They also spoke about the Zag family and how this community is what makes Gonzaga special. It is about the people. I cannot wait to get to work."
During her tenure as an assistant coach, Wilson played a major role in the improvement of the Notre Dame program, as the team went from a 7-25 record in 2015 to back-to-back 22-win seasons in 2016 and 2017. In Wilson's seven seasons with the Irish, Notre Dame has reached the NCAA Tournament three times (2017, 2019, 2020).
"We are thrilled to welcome Katie and her family to Gonzaga," Standiford said. "Her passion and energy are contagious, and we look forward to the growth of the volleyball program under her leadership."
In 2020, Wilson helped lead the Fighting Irish to a second-place finish in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the program's best-ever ACC finish. Notre Dame appeared in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments in 2019 and 2020, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2005.
As the Notre Dame Defensive Coordinator in 2020, the Fighting Irish ranked third in the ACC in opponent hitting percentage at .165, third in the ACC in blocks averaging 2.46 per set, and first in the ACC in digs averaging 16.45 per set. Wilson was a large part of the 13th-ranked recruiting class by Prepvolleyball.com with the Class of 2021.
The Fighting Irish had the 10th-ranked recruiting class by Prepvolleyball.com in 2019. Also in 2019, as the Offensive Coordinator, Notre Dame ranked third in the ACC in total kills averaging 13.00 per set.
In 2017, Wilson helped lead the Fighting Irish to their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2012, and three wins over teams ranked in the top 25 of the AVCA Coaches Poll.
Wilson joined the Notre Dame staff in 2015 after spending the 2011 fall and 2012 spring seasons at Seattle University working primarily as the middle hitter coach and data analyst.
In addition to her college coaching experience, Wilson has a combined 13 years of high school coaching experience at Lakeside School, Seattle Prep and her alma mater, Bellarmine Preparatory School. Leading Seattle Prep to a state championship in 2010.
Wilson also was a U.S. National Team Development Program U-17 and U-18 Coach. She developed and evaluated athletes for the U.S. U-17 and U-18 pipeline during the week-long Summer Training Series Camp held at the USA training facility in Anaheim, Calif. She was a Volunteer Assistant Coach for Team Canada in 2019-20.
Wilson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing from the University of Puget Sound in 2019. A native to the Puget Sound area, Wilson is married to her husband, Ryan, and have two children, Kira and Jacob.
"I would like to thank Chris Standiford, Shannon Strahl, Heather Gores, and Kim Vore for their commitment to the volleyball program at Gonzaga," Wilson said. "Throughout this entire process the administration and fellow coaches have shown that Gonzaga Athletics is a family. A family that I am so blessed to be a part of. I would also like to say, thank you to my own family for their support and encouragement through this journey. We are excited to be headed back home to Washington."
"I'm beyond happy for Katie and her family. She quickly became like a second mother to me while playing for her and now I'm excited to see what her care and consistency can do for Gonzaga program!"
- Caroline Holt, Former player at Notre Dame
"Gonzaga hit a home run hiring Katie Wilson as the next women's volleyball head coach. She always exercises the highest degree of integrity, and she can flat out coach. Katie is smart, invested, hardworking, resilient, and principled. She cares deeply about her players, understands their individual needs, and will help each one of them grow as people and volleyball players. Katie will develop each player by pushing their limits the right way, giving them the knowledge and awareness needed to be successful, and the skills necessary to execute that knowledge."
- Jim McLaughlin, Former Notre Dame Head Coach and national coach of the year at the University of Washington
"We're thrilled for Katie to have the opportunity to lead the Gonzaga volleyball program. The caring she exhibits for her student-athletes, passion for the sport and her determination to continue developing as a coach makes her a great addition to the Bulldogs' family. We wish Katie, her husband, Ryan, and their children, Kira and Jacob, much success in Spokane."
- Notre Dame Vice President and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics, Jack Swarbrick
