Schmidt To Take Over as Head Volleyball Coach

(Hastings, NE) – Hastings College Athletic Director Chris Clements announced today that John Schmidt has been named as the head volleyball coach for the Hastings Broncos.

"We are very excited to welcome John to Hastings College and our community. He will be a great addition to our athletic department in helping develop our student-athletes on and off the court," Athletic Director Chris Clements said. "Our volleyball program has a rich history and we are looking forward to seeing him elevate it further."

Schmidt brings over 30 years of coaching volleyball, including 25 years of collegiate coaching experience at the NAIA and NCAA Division I and II levels and has been the Director, President, and Head Coach of multiple Junior Olympic Volleyball Clubs dating back to 1993.

"First, I'm very grateful that God has provided me an opportunity to return to a familiar area to lead the Broncos into a new era of volleyball. I'm excited to be back in Nebraska. My last stint in Nebraska opened my eyes to a fascinating volleyball culture shared by the people in the state. Nebraskans' love and passion for the game can not be equaled anywhere on the mainland," Schmidt said.

Fans will experience an exciting brand of volleyball on the court, while they represent the college well off the court.

"The fans and players will experience a more explosive style of offense with lots of movement and shots. The offense may score the points, but the defense does win championships. The defense will have a "no balls hit the floor" mentality going for everything. We will humbly represent the institution with pride and honor on and off the court. I believe in community and it starts with us getting out into it to show our appreciation for what they do for us and the college," Schmidt added.

Since 2014, he has had seven winning seasons at the collegiate level with three conference championships, two runner-ups, two national tournament appearances, and was named the 2019 River States Conference Coach of the Year.

His previous NAIA head coaching experience was in 2019-2020 at Brescia University in Owensboro, KY, where he led the team to its first ever RSC championship to earn a spot in the national tournament. 

After that season, he took over as the interim assistant coach at Seward County Community College in Liberal, KS. He continued his success with a KJCCC Championship, ranking as high as tenth nationally over the course of his two-season tenure during the pandemic.

Schmidt spent the last three seasons in Livingston, AL coaching Division II University of West Alabama before deciding to make the move to Hastings.

"I'm excited to take the court with the team this spring to open their minds to new ideas and expand each individual's talents, taking their game to another level. It will be my first opportunity to go into a first season with an actual spring training season under the team's belt. We will be looking to bring this change into the '25 season to be competitive in the GPAC and nationally," Schmidt continued. 

The Broncos finished fifth in the GPAC this past season with an 8-8 conference record and 15-12 overall, narrowly missing out on a national tournament postseason berth.

"We will focus on three main objectives: creative thinking, outside-the-box ideas and problem-solving on the court. I want to thank Chris Clements and President Rich Lloyd for this opportunity to lead the Broncos," Schmidt concluded.

You can get a hold of Head Coach John Schmidt, whose coaching duties will start on Wednesday, Feb. 19, via email at john.schmidt@hastings.edu.

Hastings College is a four-year residential college that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. Discover more at hastings.edu.