Former Nebraska Volleyball Assistant Erik Sullivan Named U.S. Women’s Head Coach

Nebraska volleyball’s connections to the U.S. Women’s National Team have grown again.

Former Husker assistant Erik Sullivan has been named Team USA’s new head coach. He succeeds Karch Kiraly, who led the team to three Olympic medals and a World Championship title.

“I’m honored and excited to take on this new responsibility as head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team,” Sullivan in a USA Volleyball release. “Karch Kiraly has left an incredible legacy, and I’m committed to continuing the work he has done with this amazing team. My goal is to build on a strong foundation and create an environment where our athletes can develop to their fullest potential while competing at the highest level. I look forward to working alongside this talented group of athletes as we prepare for the challenges ahead.”

Sullivan was an assistant at Nebraska from 2008-11, handling player training and working with the middle blockers while serving as co-recruiting coordinator. Husker teams over that stretch made on national semifinal but lost in an earlier round each successive season. Those teams did garner a trio of conference championships, including the 2011 Big Ten title in the first year in the league.

His time in Lincoln included a year of overlap with Jordan Larson, currently a Nebraska assistant who is a four-time Olympic medalist for the U.S., including gold in Tokyo. Other recent Olympians include Justine Wong-Orantes and Kelsey Robinson-Cook.

Before Nebraska, Sullivan spent four years at Colorado, helping the Buffaloes to three straight NCAA appearances. Prior to coaching, Sullivan spent eight years on the U.S. National Team and started for Team USA at libero at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games and served as co-captain of Team USA at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

Since leaving Lincoln, Sullivan has been an assistant for Texas. He helped the Longhorns compile 368 total wins, 12 Conference Championships, eight NCAA Final Four appearances, 12 NCAA Regional Final appearances, and the 2012, 2022 and 2023 National Championships.

Sullivan has also served as the team leader for the U.S. Men’s National Team at the last three Olympic Games and has been a consultant coach for the squad for many years.

The next Summer Games are slated for 2028 in Los Angeles.

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