ALAMOSA, Colo. – After an intensive search for the next Head Volleyball Coach at Adams State University has been completed, and according to Adams State University Athletic Director Katelyn Smith, Julie Allen has been named the 11th head coach in program history.
"On behalf of my wife, Valentina, and I, I would like to thank the Athletic Director Katelyn Smith, the search committee, and the team for trusting me with this amazing opportunity to lead the Grizzlies Volleyball team," said Allen. "There is a lot of excitement around campus and athletics here, and I love Katelyn's vision for the future. We already have a fantastic group of talented student-athletes hungry for a challenge and a staff in place. It is an incredible time to be a part of the Grizzlies Family at ASU."
Allen, who comes to Alamosa via Goodwell, Okla., where she was serving as an Assistant Director of Athletics and Head Volleyball Coach for the Oklahoma Panhandle State University Aggies program since February 2020. Allen came on board as the Panhandle State Head Volleyball Coach where after serving in the same capacity at NCAA Division I Eastern Illinois University, for the previous two seasons.
"Julie has a very impressive resume and has proven to be successful at multiple levels," said Smith. "I am excited to see her take over and build on the rich tradition and success of the Volleyball program. I truly believe her positive energy and coaching style are exactly what we need to take this program to the next level. She will be a great addition to our department and University."
While at Oklahoma Panhandle, Allen amassed a 52-19 record during her three-year stint.
Allen, in addition to being the head coach at OPHSU was a part of our Men's National Sitting Volleyball Team coaching staff.
Prior to EIU, Allen assistant coach helped guide the Wichita State Shockers to a back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearance, one American Athletic Conference regular-season title, and one Missouri Valley Conference tournament title. In 2017 Wichita State posted a 29-4 record including a 20-0 record in the American Athletic Conference as they advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and finished the season ranked No. 14 in the AVCA poll. The team won the AAC title and was ranked No. 9 nationally in RPI. During her first season at WSU in 2016, the Shockers won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and finished the season with a 24-8 record, 15-3 in the MVC. During her two-year stint at Wichita State, Allen worked with a pair of All-Americans Jody Larson (2016) and Abbie Lehman (2017) along with Missouri Valley Conference Setter of the Year Emily Hiebert (2016).
Before coming to Wichita State, Allen was an assistant volleyball coach at UTEP for five seasons. While at UTEP, she served as the recruiting coordinator and the team's technical coordinator. She shared in all of the program's coaching responsibilities, including offensive director and opponent scouting game prep.
Allen also had a two-year stint at Arkansas State and the Sebastopol, Calif., native spent two years as an assistant coach at Georgetown (2006-07) where she handled scouting, offseason recruiting, and team development. She began her collegiate coaching career at Chico State (2004-05) where she assisted with recruiting, travel, and summer camps while leading the men's club team to a fifth-place finish at the national tournament.
Allen is a 2005 graduate of the NCAA Women's Coaches Academy, a program that provides skills training for coaches at all levels to assist them in being more efficient, productive, resourceful, and successful. She also participated in the NCAA Women's Coaches Academy Dimension 2 in 2007.
Allen received her bachelor's degree in education with a concentration in social studies from the University of Portland in 2002, where she was a four-year setter for the Pilots. She finished her career fifth all-time in Pilots' history in assists. And, completed her Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with an emphasis in intercollegiate athletics, in 2017.
