Completed Event: Volleyball versus University of Northern Iowa on December 4, 2025 , Loss , 2, to, 3
Final Score
Volleyball
2
vs University of Northern Iowa
3
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The University of Utah Athletics
Launiere Announces Retirement After 36 Years Leading Utah Volleyball
12/8/2025 2:20 PM | Volleyball
Storied career comes to a close as third-longest tenure by a head coach in Utah Athletics history
SALT LAKE CITY—Utah Volleyball head coach Beth Launiere announced her retirement Monday afternoon, bringing to a close her storied 36-year run as the leader of Utah's volleyball program.
The program's all-time winningest head coach (689-439), Launiere retires as the third-longest tenured head coach in the history of Utah Athletics behind only Greg Marsden, who led Utah's gymnastics program for 40 years (1976-2015), and Don Reddish, head coach of Utah's men's swimming program for 37 years. Launiere also is the second-winningest head coach in department history behind Marsden (1,048-208-8).
"After 36 years as the head Volleyball coach at the University of Utah, I have made the difficult decision to announce my retirement," Launiere said. "While it is not easy to walk away from a lifetime's work, I am ready and excited to begin the next chapter of my life. Thank you to the hundreds of players whom I have had the privilege to coach, and the many assistant coaches, support staff and administrators who were my daily collaborators to build this program into what it is today. I will miss the daily interactions, but I know our relationships will last a lifetime. It has been an honor to represent one of the greatest universities in the country. I will forever love Utah and will always be a Ute!"
Launiere built Utah Volleyball from the ground up, beginning in 1990, as she turned Utah into a perennial top-25 program. Under her watch, the Utes were ranked in the AVCA Coaches Top 25 poll 183 weeks, including twice achieving a program-record 45 consecutive weeks ranked, from 2000-2002 and again from 2019-2022.
"It is nearly impossible to put into words the impact Beth Launiere has made at the University of Utah," said Utah Athletics Director Mark Harlan. "Her legacy as one of the greatest coaches in the history of Utah Athletics is well-established, and the number of student-athletes, coaches and staff she has influenced in such a positive way stands at the top of her lengthy list of accomplishments. The standard of excellence and winning culture that Beth has created and sustained here for nearly four decades cements her place in Utah Athletics history. She will be greatly missed, but her established standard and culture will carry forward. Please join me in saluting Beth Launiere on her incredible career."
Launiere led Utah to 20 NCAA Tournament appearances, including back-to-back in her final two seasons.
The 2025 Utes showed grit and determination, going 4-1 in their last five matches of the regular season to punch their ticket to dance, including two top-25 wins over No. 23 BYU and No. 13 Kansas. In 2024, Utah earned a No. 4 seed and hosted the first and second rounds at the Jon M. Huntsman Center to cap a season in which it ranked No. 23 in the final AVCA poll.
The Utes made four Sweet 16 appearances under Launiere, in 2001, 2008, 2017 and 2019.
With Launiere leading the way, Utah earned six conference championships (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008, all in the Mountain West), and notched 20 of the 25 20-win seasons in program history—including a record 28 wins in 2006.
Under Launiere's watch, 16 athletes earned 24 All-America honors, including Kim Turner who was the first Utah Volleyball player to receive the honor in 2003 and is the only Utah Volleyball player with a jersey retired in the Huntsman Center rafters. Turner is joined by Dani Drews, who was recognized all four years she suited up for the Utes (2018-21) and is the most decorated Utah Volleyball player in program history, and most recently Kamryn Gibadlo, who earned the recognition during 2024's NCAA Tournament run.
Launiere's coaching tree is equally impressive, having identified some of the best and brightest up-and-coming talent in the collegiate volleyball world. Most notably, Arizona State's JJ Van Niel and BYU's Heather Olmstead served as assistant coaches on Launiere's staffs over the years.
Van Niel has recently shot up the coaching ranks, being named the Big 12 Coach of the Year two seasons in a row (2024 and 2025) and the AVCA's Pacific Region Coach of the Year (2024) while leading the Sun Devils to a record of 84-13 since taking over the program in 2022. Van Niel spent three seasons in Salt Lake City with Launiere from 2015-17, two as an assistant head coach and one as associate head coach.
Olmstead has made her own noise with the Cougars, leading BYU to a 279-55 record in 10 seasons at the helm, earning the 2018 AVCA National Coach of the Year, and holding the highest active winning percentage of any NCAA Division I women's volleyball coach (min. three seasons) at .848.
Launiere leaves the Utes as a four-time AVCA West Region Coach of the Year (2001, 2006, 2008, 2019), a three-time Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year (2004, 2006, 2008), a Pac-12 Coach of the Year (2019) and a five-time Don Reddish Award winner (1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005).
FOLLOW THE UTES
For an inside look at the Utah Volleyball program, including tournament, roster and news updates, fans can follow the Utes on social media (Twitter: @UtahVolleyball | Instagram: @utahvolleyball).
DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH TODAY – UTAH 360
The program's all-time winningest head coach (689-439), Launiere retires as the third-longest tenured head coach in the history of Utah Athletics behind only Greg Marsden, who led Utah's gymnastics program for 40 years (1976-2015), and Don Reddish, head coach of Utah's men's swimming program for 37 years. Launiere also is the second-winningest head coach in department history behind Marsden (1,048-208-8).
"After 36 years as the head Volleyball coach at the University of Utah, I have made the difficult decision to announce my retirement," Launiere said. "While it is not easy to walk away from a lifetime's work, I am ready and excited to begin the next chapter of my life. Thank you to the hundreds of players whom I have had the privilege to coach, and the many assistant coaches, support staff and administrators who were my daily collaborators to build this program into what it is today. I will miss the daily interactions, but I know our relationships will last a lifetime. It has been an honor to represent one of the greatest universities in the country. I will forever love Utah and will always be a Ute!"
Launiere built Utah Volleyball from the ground up, beginning in 1990, as she turned Utah into a perennial top-25 program. Under her watch, the Utes were ranked in the AVCA Coaches Top 25 poll 183 weeks, including twice achieving a program-record 45 consecutive weeks ranked, from 2000-2002 and again from 2019-2022.
"It is nearly impossible to put into words the impact Beth Launiere has made at the University of Utah," said Utah Athletics Director Mark Harlan. "Her legacy as one of the greatest coaches in the history of Utah Athletics is well-established, and the number of student-athletes, coaches and staff she has influenced in such a positive way stands at the top of her lengthy list of accomplishments. The standard of excellence and winning culture that Beth has created and sustained here for nearly four decades cements her place in Utah Athletics history. She will be greatly missed, but her established standard and culture will carry forward. Please join me in saluting Beth Launiere on her incredible career."
Launiere led Utah to 20 NCAA Tournament appearances, including back-to-back in her final two seasons.
The 2025 Utes showed grit and determination, going 4-1 in their last five matches of the regular season to punch their ticket to dance, including two top-25 wins over No. 23 BYU and No. 13 Kansas. In 2024, Utah earned a No. 4 seed and hosted the first and second rounds at the Jon M. Huntsman Center to cap a season in which it ranked No. 23 in the final AVCA poll.
The Utes made four Sweet 16 appearances under Launiere, in 2001, 2008, 2017 and 2019.
With Launiere leading the way, Utah earned six conference championships (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008, all in the Mountain West), and notched 20 of the 25 20-win seasons in program history—including a record 28 wins in 2006.
Under Launiere's watch, 16 athletes earned 24 All-America honors, including Kim Turner who was the first Utah Volleyball player to receive the honor in 2003 and is the only Utah Volleyball player with a jersey retired in the Huntsman Center rafters. Turner is joined by Dani Drews, who was recognized all four years she suited up for the Utes (2018-21) and is the most decorated Utah Volleyball player in program history, and most recently Kamryn Gibadlo, who earned the recognition during 2024's NCAA Tournament run.
Launiere's coaching tree is equally impressive, having identified some of the best and brightest up-and-coming talent in the collegiate volleyball world. Most notably, Arizona State's JJ Van Niel and BYU's Heather Olmstead served as assistant coaches on Launiere's staffs over the years.
Van Niel has recently shot up the coaching ranks, being named the Big 12 Coach of the Year two seasons in a row (2024 and 2025) and the AVCA's Pacific Region Coach of the Year (2024) while leading the Sun Devils to a record of 84-13 since taking over the program in 2022. Van Niel spent three seasons in Salt Lake City with Launiere from 2015-17, two as an assistant head coach and one as associate head coach.
Olmstead has made her own noise with the Cougars, leading BYU to a 279-55 record in 10 seasons at the helm, earning the 2018 AVCA National Coach of the Year, and holding the highest active winning percentage of any NCAA Division I women's volleyball coach (min. three seasons) at .848.
Launiere leaves the Utes as a four-time AVCA West Region Coach of the Year (2001, 2006, 2008, 2019), a three-time Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year (2004, 2006, 2008), a Pac-12 Coach of the Year (2019) and a five-time Don Reddish Award winner (1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005).
FOLLOW THE UTES
For an inside look at the Utah Volleyball program, including tournament, roster and news updates, fans can follow the Utes on social media (Twitter: @UtahVolleyball | Instagram: @utahvolleyball).
DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL MOBILE APP OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH TODAY – UTAH 360
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