WVU Volleyball Hires WSU Standout Jen Greeny As New Head Coach

WVU Volleyball hired their fifth head coach in program history on Wednesday, poaching former Washington State head coach Jen Greeny away to Morgantown. 

Greeny steps into the void left by former head coach Reed Sunahara, who resigned in November after nine seasons in Morgantown. The Mountaineers struggled to a 16-44 record across Sunahara’s final two seasons, managing just two Big 12 wins during that span, but Greeny seems like an excellent candidate to turn their fortunes around.

She assumed the lead role in Pullman in 2011, taking over a team that went 6-22 the previous season. It took some time to rebuild the program, as Washington State didn’t make the postseason for the first five years of her tenure, but Greeny eventually found sustained success, leading the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament in each of the past eight seasons.

Washington State received the No. 11 ranking in both the NCAA and AVCA’s year-end poll after making it to the Sweet Sixteen. Greeny spent her playing days with the Cougars, and might’ve seemed like a match made in heaven for the team after another strong season, but West Virginia Athletic Director Wren Baker may have been able to poach her away because the breakup of the PAC-12 left Washington State on the outside looking in, likely relegated to the Mountain West.

Greeny marks Baker’s second external coaching hire since assuming his position last December, and she seems like another strong one. The first was women’s basketball head coach Mark Kellogg, who is off to a blistering start with a perfect 10-0 record. 

With Greeny at the helm, WVU Volleyball seems like a good bet to build on their 2021 season, in which they made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in their now 51 year history.