Ball State University Athletics
WVB Duo Named Co-Head Coaches At Northwestern State
December 22, 2009 | Women's Volleyball
Courtesy: Northwestern State University Sports Information Department
NATCHITOCHES - Northwestern State Director of Athletics Greg Burke announced Tuesday husband and wife Hugh and Stephanie Hernesman have been hired as co-head coaches for the Lady Demon volleyball program.
The duo will replace Brittany Uffelman, who after six years with the Lady Demon program and last four as head coach, resigned in November to pursue other opportunities in her home state of Wyoming.
Their hirings are subject to approval by the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana system.
The Hernesmans come to Northwestern State after serving the last three years on the staff of Ball State University of the Mid-American Conference - Hugh as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator for the Cardinals and Stephanie as a volunteer assistant.
"Hugh and Stephanie Hernesman bring a combined level of maturity, experience, and knowledge which will be very beneficial to our volleyball student-athletes and to the program, in general," said Burke. "They have been part of a national championship caliber program at Wisconsin-Whitewater and also have been successful at developing a program to a higher level of success, as was the case at Hardin-Simmons and most recently, at Ball State."
"First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Burke, (vice president of external affairs) Mr. (Jerry) Pierce and (NSU president) Dr. (Randall) Webb for this opportunity," said Hugh. "Steph and I are thrilled to become a part of the Northwestern State family and feel this is a great fit for both sides. It is very clear that Mr. Burke is committed to putting a great product on the court and we plan to match that commitment. I would also like to thank (head coach) Dave Boos and (athletics director) Tom Collins at Ball State for allowing me to further my career at a fine institution. I am confident that the Ball State volleyball program is headed in a great direction and will be a major force in the MAC for years to come."
Prior to arriving at Ball State, the Hernesmans spent three seasons on the staff of Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas after an extended stint at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where they helped lead the Warhawks to the 2002 NCAA Division III National Championship.
"The fact that two highly successful Texas-based coaches - Julie Jenkins at Trinity University and Marci Sanders at University of Texas-Dallas - mentioned the Hernesman name to me when I contacted them about our position speaks well to the reputation our new coaches will have in a state (Texas) which is critical to the volleyball program's recruiting efforts," said Burke. "Also relevant is the fact that both Hugh and Stephanie have had the chance to work with a quality and recognized mentor in Ball State coach Dave Boos, who had been part of a Top 10 program at the University of Minnesota."
Boos said: "Hugh has the wisdom, demeanor, and perspective needed to build a program. He's already done that at Hardin-Simmons. He doesn't ride what I call the 'emotional wave' but rather, is mature and presents himself well. Stephanie was an outstanding collegiate player and knows what she is doing when it comes to training and developing players. They complement each other very well."
The Hernesmans transformed Hardin-Simmons into a conference championship in just three seasons. As head coach, Hugh was named the American Southwest Conference West Division Coach of the Year in both the 2005 and 2006 seasons, coached two ASC West Division Players of the Year, two league newcomers of the year, 10 ASC All-Conference selections, and a first team Academic All-American.
He also guided his team to the 2006 ASC tournament championship and the program's first ever NCAA Tournament appearance. His 2005 team won the ASC West Division title and was an ASC tournament runner-up. His program won the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2004-05 sports calendar year.
"I think very highly of both Hugh and Stephanie," said John Neese, Director of Athletics at Hardin-Simmons. "Hugh is very well organized and knows where to look for recruits. He has a quiet intensity which makes him successful. Stephanie is very driven and also brings tremendous organizational skills. She related very well to our players. In fact, when the Hernesmans left for Ball State, the great relationship that they had developed with our players made their departure especially difficult."
"They (the Hernesmans) turned Hardin-Simmons around mainly because of a tireless work ethic.....technically, they know their stuff," said Julie Jenkins, 25-year head coach at Trinity University and a Division III rival.
After Hardin-Simmons, the couple moved to Ball State and helped coach the 2008 and 2009 teams to the Mid-American Conference Tournament, where the Cardinals lost to the eventual champions both seasons.
In two years, they coached two All-MAC performers as well as developed two players that were named to the 2008 All-MAC Freshman team. They also were a major factor in boasting Ball State's RPI from No. 254 in their first season in 2007, to No. 152 this past year.
"Can Hugh and Stephanie be successful? Yes," said Ball State's Collins. "Having both of them working together would be good for the program. They can identify talent and are good teachers on the floor."
Hugh began his collegiate coaching career at Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1995 and helped guide the Warhawks to nine consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, including four Final Four appearances (1995, 2000, 2001, 2002) and the 2002 National Championship.
His teams won six WIAC Conference titles and posted a 305-45 won-loss record. He also developed and coached eight AVCA All-Americans, including the 2002 National Player of the Year, 10 AVCA All-Region players, and 14 WIAC All-Conference athletes.
Stephanie was a three-time AVCA All-American and All-Region honors as a player at Wisconsin-Whitewater from 1995-98. She was the team MVP in 1995, '97, and '98 and earned NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team honors in 1995.
During her playing days, she helped guide Whitewater to three conference championships ('96, '97, '98) and four NCAA Tournament appearances. Her 1995 team finished third in the nation.
Her teams posted a combined record of 134-21 for an 86.5 winning percentage. She was also co-captain of her 1997 and 1998 teams.
In addition to her coaching assistance at Whitewater, Hardin-Simmons, and Ball State, Stephanie also assisted the men's volleyball team at Whitewater from 1999-2003; was the USAV Junior Tournament Director from 2001-04; was head coach of the Milwaukee Sting Volleyball Club from 2002-04 where her 2003 team placed second at the Junior Olympics; was the camp instructor for the USA Volleyball High Performance Program in 2003 and 2005; and was the founder and director of the West Texas Heat Volleyball Club from 2004-07.
"We are real excited to run our own program again and get started with a new era of Lady Demon Volleyball," said Hugh. "While there is a lot to be done, our past experience has us prepared to build this program into something that I believe will be a source of pride for the University, the Athletic Department and the community of Natchitoches. Six years ago, John Neese at Hardin-Simmons University was the first person to give me an opportunity as a head coach. In three years, we were able to turn a total rebuild into an NCAA Tournament team. In three years at Ball State, we were able to help raise the program's RPI over 100 points while adding three Top 100 recruits and five Top 250 recruits in only three recruiting classes."
Said Stephanie: "We feel fortunate to have learned the lessons of successfully rebuilding programs and feel that NSU has the pieces in place that will allow this sort of program transformation as well. It will take a lot of work from the staff, the support staff and the current players, but it can be done. We've been through the highs and lows and understand what it takes - hard work in the gym and in the classroom, a detail-oriented recruiting plan and a tactical system to go along with solid opponent scouting."
Women's volleyball is one of NSU's 14 intercollegiate sports, the minimum number of sports required to hold NCAA Division I status.
