Fresno State found its newest head coach just up the coast in Seattle in Washington assistant Jonathan Winder.
Winder comes to the Bulldogs after three seasons as an assistant with the Huskies indoors and two seasons as the head beach coach. In his tenure Washington went 105-21 and won back to back Pac-12 Championships and advances to the NCAA Elite Eight twice (2015, 2016). On the beach, the Huskies earned eight All-Pac-12 selections and finished third in 2017 and fourth in 2016.
“I’m thrilled and honored to be named the head coach at Fresno State,” Winder said in the announcement. “Fresno is a place that has always been about the people and that really shows with the administration and their commitment to the student athlete’s well-being. The West Coast has tons of talent and I’m excited to get to work and lead this program to new heights.”
As a player, Winder was a four-time All-American at Pepperdine, one of just 11 in NCAA history, while earning NCAA Player of the Year honors in 2007 and setting the school assists record with 5,118. The CoSIDA Academic All-American (2008) and four-time MPSF Academic All-Conference honoree then played professionally and for the U.S. Men’s National Team. The Irvine, California, native was an alternate for the 2012 London Olympics and played on the 2007 and 2009 Pan American Cup teams and at the 2010 FIVB World Championships and 2012 FIVB World League squads. Internationally, Winder spent time in France, Germany, Greece and Romania.
Winder then returned to his alma mater where he got his coaching start as an assistant coach in 2013 to 2015.
“I want to thank the committee for their efforts in the search for our next volleyball coach and I’m confident that we have made a great selection,” interim athletics director Steve Robertello said. “With Jonathan’s pedigree as an All-American player and his coaching success, he had everything we were looking for. I look forward to having him meet the Red Wave and lead our program.”
Fresno State went 12-18 in 2017, including a 7-11 mark in Mountain West play.
Coach Winder is ALL IN‼️ #GoDogs pic.twitter.com/1NQCv4Wniy
— Fresno State VB (@FresnoStateVB) January 26, 2018
Pictures from the press conference and photo shoot with Coach Winder and his family! #GoDogs pic.twitter.com/eaIrTBBm6I
— Fresno State VB (@FresnoStateVB) January 27, 2018
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