MANHATTAN, Kan. – Jason Mansfield, who has been a part of seven NCAA Final Fours and one national championship during stints at Stanford and Washington, has been named the ninth head volleyball coach at Kansas State, Athletics Director Gene Taylor announced today.

Mansfield, who has spent the past five seasons at Washington, will be formally introduced at a press conference next week. More details will be announced soon.

“We are very excited to welcome Jason and his family to Manhattan and the Wildcat Volleyball family,” Taylor said. “The search for our new head coach drew significant interest from all over the country, and we feel Jason is the perfect fit to lead us. His championship pedigree, emphasis on team culture and building relationships – both inside a program and on the recruiting circuit – are what set him apart from other candidates. I know he is excited to get started, and I cannot wait for our student-athletes and all of Wildcat Nation to meet him.”

One of the most experienced and accomplished assistant coaches in the country, Mansfield has mentored a total of 25 individual players that have earned 65 All-America honors during his 20 years of coaching and has coached five athletes that have gone on to compete in the Olympic Games for Team USA.

“I first would like to thank (Athletics Director) Gene Taylor and (Deputy AD/SWA) Jill Shields for their trust and belief in me,” Mansfield said. “They both are a huge reason why I am so excited to be a part of Kansas State Athletics. I next would like to thank my family – my mom and dad who have always supported me, my wife, Kim, for being the best partner and teammate, my brother, Aaron, who continues to inspire me every day to be better, and finally, my daughter, Rylee, and son, Dylan – they are my biggest inspiration. Lastly, I would like to thank my incredible mentors – Keegan Cook, Chris Tamas, Kevin Hambly and, especially, John Dunning. I’ve learned so much from them, and I know I am well prepared to be a head coach in large part because of who they are as coaches and as people.

“I’m so excited to get started. I can’t wait to meet the team and to start forming those relationships. Growth is the most important thing to me. It’s something we will talk about every day and continue to find ways to grow in all aspects of our lives. We will compete at the highest level that we can every day, and we will do it with passion and unity. I came to Kansas State to build a great program, a program with high character, strong connections and a passion for learning.”

In his five seasons at Washington, Mansfield helped the Huskies advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament four times, the Elite Eight in 2019, and then to the Final Four in the spring of 2021. His work with the outside hitters netted seven All-America honors for three Huskies: Kara Bajema, Samantha Drechsel, and Claire Hoffman, with Bajema and Drechsel each garnering first-team status. Bajema broke the UW single season kills record in 2019 and ranked fourth in the NCAA with 597 and has since gone on to a stellar pro career overseas and a spot on the U.S. Senior National Team. Hoffman landed on the second team in 2020 and 2022 and was a third-team selection in 2021. With her third All-America honor, Hoffman joined an elite group of Husky outside hitters with three or more All-America honors.

As an assistant coach at Stanford working with AVCA Hall of Fame Head Coach John Dunning, Mansfield coached 17 different All-Americans, four National Players of the Year, and four future Olympians (Logan Tom, Ogonna Nnamani, Foluke Akinradewo, Alix Klineman). The 2004 squad won the national championship, while the Cardinal advanced to the Final Four six times in 14 total NCAA Tournament appearances with Mansfield on staff.

At Illinois (2016-2018), he coached three more All-Americans in two seasons and another future U.S. Olympian in Jordyn Poulter. The 20 All-America players he coached at Stanford and Illinois combined for 46 total AVCA honors. In his second and final season at Illinois, the Fighting Illini advanced to the NCAA Round of 16, upsetting Washington in the second round.

Mansfield also compiled a stellar run as a club coach with the Vision Volleyball Club from 2000 to 2016 with his teams earning seven Junior Olympic medals, 26 Junior Olympic All-Tournament selections, and the club producing 19 Volleyball Magazine “Fab 50” recruits. His first volleyball coaching experience came at Foothill Community College from 1997-99.

Mansfield and his wife, Kim, have an eight-year-old daughter, Rylee, and a six-year-old son, Dylan. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in 2016 from Ashworth College.

Other Quotes on Jason Mansfield:

“Jason Mansfield represents the best of college volleyball coaching.  His ability to develop student-athletes is matched only by his integrity as a leader.  Kansas State has made a tremendous decision for the future of their program.” Keegan Cook, University of Minnesota Head Coach

“I am very excited for Jay! He has worked so hard for a chance to run a very good program at this level. Jay is a great hire; he is a really solid, family-oriented person, who has been preparing for this moment for a long time. I am sure he will have a very positive impact on the Kansas State program.” John Dunning, Former Stanford and Hall of Fame Head Coach