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UST Names Trent Herman as new Lady Celts Head Volleyball Coach
4/5/2010
 August will mark more than the beginning of the fall semester for the University of St. Thomas Lady Celts Volleyball team. It will be the beginning of a year under brand new tutelage from newly hired Volleyball Head Coach Trent Herman.
The Garden City, Kan., native comes to the University of St. Thomas after spending the last two years as the Technical Director and Coach at the Absolute Volleyball Academy in League City, Texas where his 18’s team won the Club National Championship. He graduated from Fort Hays State University in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in history.
Before coaching at the Absolute Volleyball Academy, Herman spent five years as an assistant coach at Rice University where he helped nurture some student athletes who have ascended to the NCAA Tournament the past two years, spent four years as an assistant coach and Director of Recruiting at Iowa State University and two years as an assistant coach at Southwest State University.
“The Celts program is very young and very successful, which is evident from their two consecutive conference titles. I would like to continue with the hard work and dedication that the athletes and coaches have instilled in this program and continue build up on it,” Herman said.
With five months to prepare for the new volleyball season, Herman has set high goals to bring the volleyball program to the next level of competition.
“Our goal is not only to qualify for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Tournament but to also win more then a first round match,” Herman said. “Academically, we want to aspire to have the highest student athlete GPA, serve the community and represent not only the volleyball program but the University of St. Thomas to the best of our abilities.”
Herman plans to hit the ground running to recruit prospective student athletes, and he is confident his coaching style will assist the Lady Celts in achieving as much as they can on the court and in life.
 “I am a very passionate coach, and I push my players to excel both on and off the court,” Herman said. “Many people would describe me as a technical coach. I focus on teaching every single part of the game because performance is the result of a complete understanding of the game. Much like life, the game is always changing, always expanding. The only way to come out on top is to be open to the new ideas and concepts. The best coaches and student-athletes have an understanding of that and use it to rise to the next level.”
Come August, Herman hopes to show the St. Thomas community that the Lady Celts will strive for the best.
“I hope the community comes out and fills the stands for our games,” Herman said. “I guarantee them an exciting brand of volleyball from some of the best student-athletes.”
Athletic Director and Men’s Head Basketball Coach Todd Smith recalled working with Herman at Rice, and said he thought Herman would fit in well with the ideals of the University and his goals for the future of the Lady Celts volleyball program.
“He’s a great coach. He has a great understanding of the game and has a phenomenal ability to teach the technical aspects.” Smith said. “He is incredibly organized and always prepared and I think that will be apparent through the program and the student athletes both on and off the court.”
In the 2009 season, the Lady Celts were named Association of Independent Institutions (AII) champions for the second year in a row, and they advanced to the first round of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championships.
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