Jeff Nelson enters his fourth season on the Hilltop in 2006 and the future of USF Volleyball has never been brighter. In just three seasons, the reversal of fortune is nothing short of remarkable. Since Nelson taking the reigns prior to the 2003 campaign, the Dons have tallied 53 victories - easily the best three-year win tally in program history - including two winning seasons in the last three years. For persective, in the 29-year history of the sport on the Hilltop, only four teams registered a winning record.

DONS MAKE INAUGURAL NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE

When the Nelson era began February 13, 2003, few could have anticipated the radical changes he would make on a team coming off just six victories in 2002. In just his first season on the Hilltop, Nelson transformed the Dons into one of the greatest stories in volleyball during the 2003 campaign, guiding San Francisco to the best start (15-0) and the greatest record turnaround (+17) in the history of volleyball in the West Coast Conference. Along the way USF achieved their first top-25 victories and first top-25 ranking in program history.

After guiding San Francisco to an undefeated non-conference schedule (16-0), Nelson pushed USF to a 7-7 record and a fourth place finish in the highly demanding WCC. The Dons magical "Season of Firsts" was capped by a berth in the 2003 NCAA Tournament - the first in program history.

A SUCCESSFUL ENCORE IN 2005

With the departure of five senior starters from the 2003 NCAA team, the 2004 campaign opened with USF fielding one of the youngest rosters in the league boasting just two seniors. Despite these key losses, the Dons youth movement began in full force and the experience translated into more success in 2005.

San Francisco opened the season on an eight-game winnning streak, highlighted by a pair of preseason tournament victories. The Dons posted the second best record in program history with 18 wins, including a remarkable 6-0 slate in five-game matches and dispatched a pair of conference champions - Long Island and North Carolina. The Dons victory against the Tar Heels made Nelson the winningest coach in program history.

READY TO MAKE MORE HISTORY

After losing just three letter-winners from last season's team, expectations are elevated for a strong season in one of the toughest volleyball conferences in the nation in 2006.

"A lot of good things can happen in the fall," Nelson said. "I think the rebuilding part of it is over and now I think we have to set our sights really high and I know we are ready to do that. This team has the potential to have a knockout season."

A WINNING TRADITION

No stranger to success in elite conferences, Nelson came to USF after building a distinguished resume after leading Texas Tech for eight seasons (1995-2002). Under his leadership, the Red Raiders posted five trips to the NCAA Tournament and five 20-plus victory campaigns.

Former USF Athletic Director, Bill Hogan hired Nelson and credits him for fueling the Dons rise to prominence.

"The accomplishments of the 2003 women's volleyball team were remarkable and should be directly attributed to Coach Nelson and his staff. Jeff offers a unique dedication to the sport of volleyball that energizes all those associated with the program. To engineer the greatest turnaround in the history of one of the most dominant Volleyball leagues in NCAA Division I is a testament to his skill as a motivator, teacher and his tireless work ethic," Hogan said.

Nelson expects excellence both on and off the court.

"Our goal every year will be to make the tournament, because we want that to become an expectation of this program. I think the pressure is what we put on ourselves and we expect to be good and we expect to win."

BUILDING THE RED RAIDERS

Nelson compiled an impressive resume at Texas Tech, advancing to the NCAA Tournament in five of his eight seasons. Nelson led Tech to four-consecutive 20+ win seasons from 1995-1998; had more tournament victories than any previous Red Raiders coach (15) and boasted a career winning percentage of .633. Nelson amassed a career record of 166-95 after taking the head coach position in 1995 and finished his stint at Tech averaging over 20 wins a season.

An excellent recruiter, Nelson produced an American Coaches Volleyball Association (AVCA) All-American (Colleen Smith), a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient and nine AVCA All-Region Team members by seven different players. Nine players earned all-conference honors, including the 2000 Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of Year as well as the 2001 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.

During Nelson's tenure in Lubbock, his team achieved excellence in the classroom responding with 28 Big-12 All-Academic selections. In addition, Jill Burness earned the Verizon/CoSIDA Volleyball Academic All-American of the Year award in 1996.

THE MAGICAL SEASON OF FIRSTS

No stranger to revitalizing programs, Nelson faced another formidable challenge when he arrived on the Hilltop. Nelson inherited a USF program with only two winning seasons in the program's 26-year history, which made the magical run of the 2003 season all the more remarkable.

In his first season as head coach San Francisco established two West Coast Conference records, produced the nation's best record turnaround (+17) and set no fewer than 15 program records, including wins (23), winning percentage (.767), kills (1,862), hitting percentage (.240) and assists (1,642). In addition, the Dons captured a record four tournament titles and went undefeated in non-conference play during the regular season for only the third time in league history. USF placed a record four players on the All-WCC squad, highlighted by Brittanie Budinger, who earned First Team selection and All-Pacific Region Honorable Mention selection - the first in program history.

COACHING BEGINNINGS

In addition to his exceptional resume compiled at Texas Tech, Nelson enjoyed similar success at every stop during his career both as a player and coach. As a volleyball player at Ball State University, his collegiate team advanced to the NCAA Final Four in 1985. He helped guide Muncie Burris High School to the 1995 Indiana State Volleyball Championship with a 42-0 record while serving as an assistant coach. As a graduate assistant at the University of Nebraska, he was part of a program that placed runner-up in the 1986 NCAA Championships. From Nebraska, he was named assistant head coach in 1988 and head coach of the Minnesota Monarchs of Major League Volleyball for the 1989 season. He led the Monarchs to a 9-0 start in 1989 and coached the East All-Star team.

After the MLV folded, Nelson joined the University of Minnesota volleyball program as an assistant coach. He helped the Golden Gophers post a 29-9 record, place second in the Big Ten Conference and advance to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 round in 1989.

He was also involved with the club circuit in Minnesota. During the 1989-90 school year, he coached the Golden Spike Juniors, who placed third nationally among the U.S. Junior Olympians 18 & Under group and produced two USJO All-Americas and three high school All-Americas. Nelson also has international experience as he was named the assistant coach for the 1991 U.S. Junior National Boys team. In 1992, he coached the Junior National Boys Teams to the Canada Cup Challenge championship.

In 1993, he was the assistant coach of the U.S. Olympic Festival women's North Team that won a Bronze medal in San Antonio and in 1994 he was assistant coach of the U.S. Olympic Festival men's West Team in St. Louis. That same year he coached the Sun Devil Volleyball Club team to runner-up honors in the U.S. Women's Open Championships, where three team members were selected as All-Americas.

From 1990 to 1995, Nelson helped Arizona State earn two Sweet Sixteen and three NCAA appearances (1992-93-94) and one NIVC berth (1990) as its assistant volleyball coach. During his five years as recruiting coordinator, he signed four high school All-Americans. He also doubled as Arizona State's men's club team coach where he guided the Sun Devils to three Cactus Region championships and three Top 10 national finishes. He also produced five All-America athletes along with one USA Open All-America, placed seventh in the U.S. Open and hosted the 1994 National Club championships. His 1994 club team posted a 68-5 record and was ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation.

Nelson was also active in youth club volleyball at Arizona State. From 1992 to 1995 Nelson coached the 18 & Under East Valley Volleyball Club to the 1994 and 1995 Cactus Region championship and reached the USJO Final 16 at the USA National Championships.

Twenty-three of his former club athletes received Division I scholarships, three were selected as Junior National team members, while five were named high school All-Americans. Nelson also served on the Cactus Region Board of Directors from 1992 to 1995 and the Sun Country Region Board from 2001-2003.

A native of Austin, Minnesota, Nelson received his bachelor's degree from Ball State in 1986, after attending Austin Community College. He played setter, outside hitter and defensive specialist for the Cardinals.

"I believe in discipline and a strong work ethic mixed in with a fun, competitive spirit," says Nelson, who has served on the AVCA Top-25 Poll committee for the past nine seasons. He also chaired the AVCA All-Central Region and the AVCA All-America Committee. Nelson also chairs the AVCA Hall of Fame Committee and serves on the All-Pacific Region and the NCAA Pacific Region Committees.

Nelson's father, Tom, is a former Minnesota State Commissioner of Education, and is a current superintendent in Minnesota. His mother, Suzanne Stewart, works in real estate in Phoenix. Nelson's stepmother, Margaret, works in Continuing Education. He has two sisters, Connie and Beth, and a brother, Chris. Nelson and his two sons, Harley and Kaden, reside in Novato.

THE JEFF NELSON FILE

Born: July 15, 1963

Hometown: Austin, Minn.

Began at the University of San Francisco: March 1, 2003

Education: Austin High School (Austin, Minn.); Austin Community College; Bachelor of Arts, Ball State University, 1986.

Coaching Career: 1985- Assistant Volleyball Coach, Burris High School (Ind.); 1986-87- Graduate Assistant, University of Nebraska; 1988-89- Head Volleyball Coach, Minnesota Monarchs; 1989-90- Assistant Volleyball Coach, University of Minnesota; 1990-1995- Assistant Volleyball Coach, Arizona State University; 1995-2003- Head Volleyball Coach, Texas Tech University; 2003-present- Head Volleyball Coach University of San Francisco.

Club Coaching Career: 1989-90- US Junior Olympic Third Place 18&under (Golden Spike Juniors-Minneapolis); 1991-95- Head Coach, Arizona State Men's Club Team (3 Cactus Region Championships); 1992-95- Head Coach, East Valley Volleyball Club 18&under (2 Cactus Region Championships); 1994- Head Coach, Sun Devil, U.S. Women's Open Championship runner-up; 1996- US Junior Olympic Qualifier (Lubbock); 1996-97- Director, Lubbock Juniors. U.S.A.V.

National Coaching: 1991- Assistant Coach, U.S. Junior National Boys Team; 1992- Head Coach, US Junior National Boys Team; 1993- Assistant Coach-women's, US Olympic Festival (Bronze Medal); 1994- Assistant Coach-men's, U.S. Olympic Festival.

Team Accomplishments: 1985 Indiana State Champions (Muncie Burris H.S.); 1986 NCAA Finalist (Nebraska); 1989 NCAA Sweet 16 (Minnesota); 1993 U.S. Olympic Festival Bronze Medal (North Team); 1992 NCAA Tourament (Arizona State); 1993 NCAA Tournament (Arizona State); 1994 NCAA Tournament (Arizona State); 1995 NCAA Tournament (Texas Tech); 1996 NCAA Tournament (Texas Tech); 1998 NCAA Tournament (Texas Tech); 2000 NCAA Tournament (Texas Tech); 2001 NCAA Tournament (Texas Tech); 2003 NCAA Tournament (USF).

JEFF NELSON AND ACHIEVEMENT AT TEXAS TECH • Guided program to five 20+ win seasons • Led Texas Tech volleyball to five NCAA Tournament appearances • Texas Tech has been a fixture among the nation's top-25 and region's top-10 programs • Led Red Raiders to a 166-94 record • Broke team and individual school records in nearly every statistical category • Recruited several Fab-50 volleyball recruits to Texas Tech • Recruited and coached GTE Academic Volleyball All-American Player of the Year Jill Burness (1996) • Recruited Colleen Smith who became Tech's first volleyball All-American (2000 AVCA Second-Team All-American) • Won more tournament titles (15) than any coach in program history

NELSON'S CAREER COACHING RECORD

Year    Institution     	Record  Pct.    	Big-12/WCC  Finish  	Post-season
1995    Texas Tech      	21-12   .636    	SWC     N/A     	NCAA Tourn.-2nd Round
1996    Texas Tech      	25-9    .739    	12-8    6th     	NCAA Tourn.-1st Round
1997    Texas Tech      	23-11   .676    	10-10   7th     	None
1998    Texas Tech      	23-11   .676    	12-8    T-5th   	NCAA Tourn.-1st Round
1999	Texas Tech	18-15	.545	7-13	8th	None
2000	Texas Tech	24-9	.727	12-8	T-5th	NCAA-First Round
2001	Texas Tech	18-13	.581	9-11	T-6th	NCAA- First Round
2002	Texas Tech	14-15	.483	9-11	T-7th	None
2003	San Francisco	23-8	.742	7-7 (WCC)	4th	NCAA-First Round
2004	San Francisco	12-20	.375	4-10 (WCC)	6th	2005	San Francisco	18-13	.581	4-10 (WCC)	6th
Overall			219-137	.615	86-96	N/A	6 NCAA Tournaments

NELSON'S FORMER ATHLETES COACHING AT NCAA INSTITUTIONS (5)
Coach            Position
Kari Anderson	Assistant Coach, Hawaii
Mike Lessinger	Head Coach, Ohio University
Cristine Martin	Assistant Coach, Southern Methodist
Scott Swanson	Head Coach, UTEP
Nancy Todd	Head Coach, Texas Tech

NELSON'S FORMER ATHLETES PLAYING PRO VOLLEYBALL (4)
Brittanie Budinger - Spain
Collen Smith - Italy, Holland
Skydra Orzen - Holland
Brande Brown - Austria

WHERE NELSON RANKS AMONG TEXAS TECH'S COACHES
CAREER WINNING PERCENTAGE
Rk	Coach		Record		Pct.
1.	Mike Jones	128-62		.674
2.	Jeff Nelson	166-95		.636
3.	Janice Hudson	333-199-6	.619
4.	Donna Martin	60-54		.526

CAREER VICTORIES
Rk	Coach		Record		Pct.
1.	Janice Hudson	333-199-6	.619
2.	Jeff Nelson	166-95		.636
3.	Mike Jones	128-62		.674
4.	Donna Martin	60-54		.526

WINS PER YEAR
Rk	Coach		Years	W/Year
1.	Janice Hudson	10	33.3
2.	Jeff Nelson	8	20.8
3.	Mike Jones	6	21.3
4.	Donna Martin	4	15.0

Note: teams played at least 40 games before 1983.

CAREER TOURNAMENT TITLES
Rk	Coach		Years	Titles
1.	Jeff Nelson	8	15
2.	Janice Hudson	10	14
3.	Mike Jones	6	9
4.	Donna Martin	4	5

TOURNAMENT TITLES WON BY JEFF NELSON (22)
•1995 Iowa State Tournament, Ames, Iowa
•1996 Nevada Taco Bell Invitational, Reno, Nev.
•1996 New Mexico Roadrunner Classic, Las Cruces, N.M.
•1996 Four Points Sheraton/Red Raider Classic, Lubbock, Texas
•1996 Northwest Arkansas Times Invitational, Fayetteville, Ark.
•1997 Sheraton Shootout, Lubbock, Texas
•1997 South Florida Tournament, Tampa, Fla.
•1997 U.S. Air Force Academy Tournament, Colorado Springs, Colo.
•1998 Brion's Grille Invitational, Fairfax, Va.
•1999 Nanook Classic, Fairbanks, Alaska.
• 2000 Carolina Classic, Columbia, S.C.
• 2000 Red Raider Classic, Lubbock, Texas
• 2000 Louisiana State Tournament, Baton Rouge, La.
• 2001 Red Raider Classic, Lubbock, Texas
• 2002 Hofstra Asics Classic, Hempstead, New York
• 2003 WSU Cougar Challenge, Pullman, WA
• 2003 NAU Fiesta Bowl Classic, Flagstaff, AZ
• 2003 Butler Invitational, Indianapolsi, IN
• 2003 PSU Viking Showcase, Portland, OR
• 2004 TCU Molten Invitational, Waco, TX
• 2005 Delaware Blue Hen Invitational, Newark, DE
• 2005 USF Powerade/Asics Classic, San Francisco, CA