In mid-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), allows each coach to recognize a peer who has impressed them the most. There are no strict criteria for this honor; coaches can nominate someone based on earned accolades, first-year achievements, or even their demeanor. After the nominations, one Sun Devil coach receives the ultimate peer recognition in the 26-sport department.
This year’s winner is first-year head coach JJ Van Niel of Sun Devil Volleyball, who led his team to a historic season.
“Most of our athletic department walks by the Frank Kush statue every day, a constant reminder of the standard he set for Sun Devil athletics both on and off the field,” Van Niel said. “Receiving this award is a tremendous honor! It’s a privilege to be associated with such a legendary figure in ASU athletic history. I am 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 work with, so this award is a celebration for them as well.”
In his first season, Van Niel led Arizona State to an incredible turnaround, making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015 and winning two matches to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in Sun Devil history. His efforts earned him the AVCA Pacific South Region Coach of the Year and Pac-12 Coach of the Year titles. He also received the Linda Vollstedt Coach of the Year award at Wings of Gold this spring.
The Sun Devils posted a 28-7 record, the best this century at ASU and the second-highest win total in program history. Their 14-6 Pac-12 record marked the most conference wins in team history, finishing in a tie for third in the Pac-12, the best finish since tying for second in 1993.
Van Niel helped numerous student-athletes achieve high honors. Marta Levinska, in her final season, was named an AVCA First Team All-American, AVCA South Pacific Region All-Region, and All-Pac-12 First Team. Claire Jeter and Shannon Shields were honorable mention All-Americans. The 2023 squad 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 play undefeated and going 14-0, the best start by a new head coach in the NCAA era. They were ranked in the top 25 in the AVCA Coaches Poll every week since September 25, finishing at No. 16. The Sun Devils had two top-five sweeps over Stanford (home) and Oregon (away), marking just the second time in ASU history they beat two top-five teams in the same year and the first time with two top-five sweeps. They also achieved 20 three-set wins, the most in program history.
Other coaches receiving votes included Sheila McInerney from women’s tennis after 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
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PLAYERS MENTIONED
#4 Marta Levinska
OPP 6′ 2″ Senior
#9 Shannon Shields
S 5′ 10″ Graduate Student
#23 Claire Jeter
MB 6′ 3″ Graduate Student
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