USC Women's Volleyball Hires Tyler Hildebrand to Position of Associate Head Coach - USC Athletics (2024)

The Women of Troy complete their coaching staff with the addition of Tyler Hildebrand

Harrison Cho

Women's Volleyball | February 13, 2024

LOS ANGELES –The USC women's volleyball team has hiredTyler Hildebrandto the position of associate head coach, head coachBrad Kellerannounced on Tuesday, Feb. 13.

"This is a great move for our program," said Keller. "The addition of Tyler Hildebrand to our staff puts us in prime position to compete as we move to the Big Ten Conference in a few short months. Tyler is a proven talent developer, an unmatched strategist, and a true teacher of the game. We are fortunate to be able to bring him to USC. Now that our coaching staff is complete, I can't wait to get to work and build towards the fall with this amazing staff."

"I want to first thank Brad Keller,Jen Cohen, andEd Stewartfor entrusting my family and me with this incredible opportunity," said Hildebrand. "Brad's vision and belief in both me and my family has been humbling and exciting. What he has been building at USC, joining the Big Ten, and Jen Cohen's leadership are all reasons why these are exciting times for USC women's volleyball. We are excited about joining the Trojan Family, which has such a great tradition of winning championships and developing athletes into great people. We're also excited become part of an already incredible staff inSpencer McLachlin,Megan Moenoa,Julian Welsh-White, andVirginia Pham; a staff that I believe rivals any in the country. Big Ten volleyball is no joke and having spent three years competing in it in the past, we are excited for the challenge of facing the best teams in the country week in and week out. I want to thank my wife and our two young children for their incredible support and love throughout our decision process and our future here as Trojans! Lastly, we are very excited to get to know the young women on this team over the next few months. We hope to have a positive and lasting impact on them as volleyball players but most importantly as people as they navigate this incredibly fun and challenging time in their lives as college student-athletes. Fight On!"

Hildebrand has served the last two years as head coach at Long Beach State—his Alma Mater. He led the Beach to a 40-19 record in two seasons. LBSU went 19-9 in his inaugural season (2022) and improved to 21-10 in 2023. Following his second year, Hildebrand was chosen to the Volleyball Magazine list of up-and-coming Coaching Hotshots.

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 team's 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 Olympic 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.

"I am very excited for the addition of Tyler Hildebrand to the USC coaching staff," said Ross, a three-time indoor All-American at USC (2000-03) and a three-time Olympic medalist. "I know firsthand just how effective he is at getting the best out of each individual athlete from our time together training for the Tokyo Olympics. He brings an invaluable level of energy and innovation to every team, and I don't know anyone who is more passionate about the sport of volleyball. I'm fired up to see what this squad can do next season!"

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.

In 2023, the Women of Troy (19-13) received the eighth seed in the Pittsburgh quadrant of the NCAA tournament and swept UMBC in the first round before falling to site host No. 4 Pittsburgh in the second round. Under fourth-year head coachBrad Keller, the Trojans finished fifth in the Pac-12 (12-8) and were ranked 24th in the final AVCA/Taraflex Division I Coaches Poll. Outside hitterSkylar Fieldsreceived her third-career AVCA All-America award and she and setterMia Tuanigawere each named to the Pac-12 all-conference team. Outside hitterLondon Wijaywas chosen to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.

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 X, Facebook, and Instagram.