The Oregon volleyball program has a new leader holding the reigns. On Monday, Feb. 3, the Ducks announced that they had hired Trent Kersten as the next head coach of the program after former head coach Matt Ulmer left for the same gig with the Kansas Jayhawks.
Kersten has had a highly successful five years as a head coach of various programs. Most recently, Kersten led the Loyola Marymount Lions to a 45-12 overall record, an appearance in the WCC Championship, and a berth into the NCAA Tournament.
As Oregon heads into its second season as a part of the Big Ten, Kersten will be the eighth head coach of the program and will hopefully lead the Ducks to the same kind of success that he has had throughout his career.
Ready to lead.
— GoDucks (@GoDucks) February 3, 2025
Trent Kersten has been named the 8th Head Coach in @OregonVB progam history. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/eeNfY1zCD5
Before taking over the LMU program, Kersten coached the San Jose State team from 2020 through 2022. Over his five-year career, he has built a 92-40 overall record as a head coach and was named the WCC Coach of the Year in 2024.
"Trent [Kersten] is a strong leader with a proven track record of excellence," said Rob Mullens, Oregon's athletic director. "His commitment to the student-athlete experience, building a championship culture, and strategically implementing technology represents the right fit for Oregon Volleyball, and we have an exciting future ahead under Trent's leadership."
In his final season with the LMU Lions, Kersten led the team to a 25-6 overall record. The Lions secured their first West Coast Conference title since 1996.
Ulmer, Oregon's former head coach, had been with the Ducks for seven years and led the team to six berths into the NCAA Tournament which included three trips to the Elite Eight.