DU Hires New Women's Volleyball Coach

Jesse Mahoney

From: The Coloradoan

Jesse Mahoney, an assistant volleyball coach at Colorado State University for the past seven seasons, has been hired as the head coach at the University of Denver.

DU athletic director Peg Bradley-Doppes made the announcement this afternoon.

Mahoney, 40, replaces Beth Kuwata, who moved into another position within DU's athletic department.

''I am definitely excited about the opportunity to go to DU,'' Mahoney said.

''There's a lot of excellence in that athletic department and to be able to stay in the state that we consider home, to be part of a great academic institution, as well as a great athletic department. To be able to recruit elite students and elite athletes at the same time, you don't get better opportunities than that.''

Mahoney grew up in Boulder, and his wife is a Colorado native. They have three sons -- Macy, 5, Griffin, 4 and Declan, 2.

Mahoney holds both a bachelor's degree in psychology and law degree from the University of Colorado. He spent six seasons as the head coach at Fort Hays State, an NCAA Division II program in Kansas, before coming to Colorado State University as an assistant to Tom Hilbert in 2005. Mahoney's teams went 107-82 at Fort Hays State, including a 31-5 record in 2004, his final season there.

CSU coach Tom Hilbert wished Mahoney well and said this was a great opportunity for his former assistant to run his own program.

''He deserves it,'' Hilbert said. ''He's been working at this for a long time. He's been very loyal to this place, because I know he's had other opportunities. There are certain jobs that fit for him and his family, and this is one of them, so I'm happy that he got it.''