Penn State names new women’s volleyball head coach following Russ Rose’s retirement
Penn State Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Sandy Barbour announced the removal of an interim head coaching tag for Katie Schumacher-Cawley, who will become the third women’s volleyball head coach in program history.
Schumacher-Cawley spent the past four seasons as an assistant under former coach Russ Rose, who announced his retirement last month. Rose compiled a national record 1,330 Division I victories and had seven national championships, 25 conference championships and 41 NCAA tournament appearances. While Schumacher-Cawley will ascend to Rose’s position, Rose will remain in an advisory role with Penn State’s athletic department.
“Katie has a deep connection with the Penn State program as both an All-American and National Champion student-athlete and assistant coach,” Barbour said in a press release.
Schumacher-Cawley was a member of the Nittany Lions 1999 national championship team and was hired as Penn State’s top assistant and recruiting coordinator in 2018. She previously served as a head coach at Illinois-Chicago (2009-2016) and Penn (2017). The former Penn State volleyball player also played basketball for the Lady Lions in 2001 and 2002.
“Katie’s time as a head coach was filled with success on the court, in the classroom and in the community,” Barbour said. “As an assistant coach with the Nittany Lions the last four seasons, she has demonstrated her commitment to preparing our students for success in all aspects of their lives. During our search process, we were looking for candidates with demonstrated success as a head coach, a commitment to excellence in competition and academics, and character and values that match Penn State’s. We found all of that.”
In the release, Schumacher-Cawley called it a “dream come true.”
“The love I have for this storied University, passionate community and all things Blue and White is unmatched,” she said in the press release.
She also thanked Rose, her former coach and mentor.
“Without his guidance and care for me and my family, I would not be in the position I am in today. Coach is the best to ever do it, and to be sure there will never be another like him,” she said. “I also want to recognize Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, Sandy Barbour, our Senior Woman Administrator Dr. Lauren Rhodes, and our President, Dr. Eric Barron for believing in me and our shared vision for the future and the sustained success of Penn State Women’s Volleyball.”
Penn State volleyball remains as the lone program to make it to each of the NCAA’s 41 volleyball tournaments. Schumacher-Cawley aided Penn State in four years as an assistant to an overall record of 74-31 and a Big Ten mark of 53-20. Seven volleyball players earned 15 AVCA All-America nominations over the past four seasons.
