(Tempe, AZ) In the middle of June, every Sun Devil head coach casts their vote for the Sun Devil Coach of the Year in honor of Frank Kush.
The award – presented around the anniversary of Coach Kush’s passing (June 22, 2017) – is one way for each coach to recognize a peer that impressed them the most. There are no true guidelines for this honor; coaches can nominate someone who earned any honors, a coach who made an impression in their first year, or simply the nicest coach in the building. Once the nominations are in, one Sun Devil coach earns what one can consider the ultimate show of respect: an award from their peers in the 26-sport department.
This year’s winner is a first-year head coach who led his squad to a historic season: JJ Van Niel of Sun Devil Volleyball.
“Most of our athletic department walks by the Frank Kush statue every day and it’s a constant reminder of the standard he set for Sun Devil athletics both on the field and in the community,” Van Niel said. “Receiving this award is a tremendous honor! It’s a privilege to be associated in any way with such a legendary figure in ASU athletic history. I am both flattered and humbled to be recognized by my talented and driven head coaching peers here at ASU. As all coaches know, these awards aren’t just about us; they are about the assistants, the staff and the players we are surrounded by, so this award is a celebration for them as well.”
Van Niel made history in his first season as a head coach by leading Arizona State to an incredible turnaround to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015 and winning two matches for the first time in Sun Devil history to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. For his efforts, he was named the AVCA Pacific South Region Coach of the Year and the Pac-12 Coach of the Year. He also earned the Linda Vollstedt Coach of the Year award at Wings of Gold this spring.
The Sun Devils had a 28-7 record, which was the best record this century at ASU and the second-highest win total in program history. Additionally, Arizona State had a 14-6 Pac-12 record, which is the most conference wins in team history. The Sun Devils finished in a tie for third in the Pac-12, the best conference finish since tying for second in 1993. For the full 2023 season recap, head here.
Van Niel helped many exceptional student-athletes earn high honors. In her final season, Marta Levinskawas an AVCA First Team All-American, AVCA South Pacific Region All-Region and All-Pac-12 First Team. Two others were honorable mention All-Americans: Claire Jeter and Shannon Shields. This 2023 squad is the most decorated in program history. The team set single-season program records for most AVCA All-America honors (three), most AVCA All-District nods (five), most Pac-12 postseason awards (six) and most Pac-12 weekly awards (five).
The team started the season strong, finishing non-conference undefeated and going 14-0 to start the year, which is the best start by a new head coach in the NCAA era. In the rankings, the squad was in the top 25 in the AVCA Coaches Poll every week since September 25, finishing ranked No. 16. The Sun Devils had two-top five sweeps over Stanford (home) and Oregon (away). The win over the Cardinal was just the second time ever that the Sun Devils swept them. This was just the second time in ASU history beating two top-five teams in the same year, but it’s the first time with two top-five sweeps. Speaking of sweeps, the Sun Devils had 20 three-set wins on the year, which is the most in program history.
Other coaches that received votes were Sheila McInerney from women’s tennis after completing her 40th and final season, Cliff English from triathlon after winning a seventh-consecutive national championship and Kristen Rohr of beach volleyball who in her first season won Pac-12 Coach of the Year and led the Sun Devils to the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
FRANK KUSH AWARD WINNERS
2023-24: JJ Van Niel, volleyball
2022-23: Bob Bowman, swim and dive
2021-22: Matt Thurmond, men’s golf
2020-21: Todd Clapper, water polo
2018-19: Greg Powers, hockey
2017-18: Trisha Ford, softball
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Kimberlie Haner
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