Hilbert Announces Retirement After Conclusion of Season
11/7/2022 3:10:00 PM | Volleyball
The 26-year Head Coach for Colorado State Volleyball announces end to historic career
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – After 26 seasons at the helm of Colorado State volleyball, head coach Tom Hilbert announced Monday he will be retiring from collegiate volleyball after the 2022 season.
"Today, after much thought and reflection, I am announcing that I have decided to retire from coaching collegiate volleyball at the end of this season," Hilbert said. "For the past 39 years - 26 of them here at Colorado State - I have been blessed to live out my dream at the best university and in the best volleyball community in the country, Colorado State University and Fort Collins, Colo.
"I have so many people to thank from our incredible fan base, fellow coaches, and administrators. But most of all I want to thank the amazing players who have been the real impetus for the success of Ram Volleyball. Thank you for all that you were willing to give… and for trusting me with your collegiate experience.
"There will be a time to celebrate and reflect, with more storytelling and memories. But this is not that time. There is still work to do. We want to win the Mountain West Championship and the Mountain West Tournament. This team is filled with amazing young women who need your support. So, let's keep our focus on this team and together, we can make 2022 a great story in Ram Volleyball history."
A historic career as one of the longest tenured coaches in Colorado State athletics history, Hilbert took over the volleyball program in 1997 and made it one of the most consistently successful programs in the nation.
Winning Mountain West Coach of the Year 12 times throughout his career as well as leading the Rams to 23 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, Hilbert's impact on Ram volleyball is one which will continue to impact the program for years to come.
"Over the past 26 years, Tom Hilbert has meant so much to Colorado State Athletics, the university, and the Fort Collins community, and we congratulate him on his hall of fame coaching career," Athletic Director Joe Parker said. "We work tirelessly to develop a Championship Culture across the entire department, and our volleyball program and the community Tom has built around it serve as a model in our overall efforts. He has mentored hundreds of Ram volleyball student-athletes over his decorated career who graduated with a meaningful degree and, more often than not, a conference championship ring."
"There will be time ahead to celebrate Tom and his career in a much larger way, but our program still has Mountain West championship aspirations and will host the Mountain West Volleyball Tournament in Moby Arena during the week of Thanksgiving. In our eyes, the best way for fans of our program to celebrate him now is to wrap their arms around this team, pack Moby Arena for the final two home games, and cheer them on throughout the tournament. Congratulations, Tom, on a remarkable career and all that you have achieved!"
Retiring after his 35th career season as ahead coach, he began his career at the University of Idaho from 1992-1995. Hilbert currently ranks fifth among active Division I coaches in career wins with a record of 811-231 and 10th among active coaches in winning percentage with a .778 mark. All-time, Hilbert sits 16th among Division I coaches in career winning percentage and 17th in career wins.
Hilbert was inducted into the CSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006 with numerous accolades to his name including becoming the winningest coach in any sport in Colorado State history, earning a victory over UNLV, his 353rd overall, in Fort Collins on November 4, 2010.
Hilbert has coached 11 players who have earned AVCA All-America selections, including five in the past decade. On four occasions, a Ram has been named a Volleyball Magazine All-American, and 33 times one of Hilbert's players has been named All-America Honorable Mention by either the AVCA or Volleyball Magazine. Under Hilbert, Colorado State also earned 15 Mountain West Player of the Year awards in the league's 23-year history, and a total of 98 all-conference selections.
Through his tenure at Colorado State, Hilbert has never let more than a four-year gap go by without winning a conference title. So, unless an athlete transferred out of the program, a full four year's under Hilbert guaranteed at least one conference championship ring.
Colorado State will begin a national search for the next head coach of the program immediately and has retained Bowlsby Sports Advisors to assist in the search. Kyle Bowlsby can be reached at Kyle@bowlsbysportsadvisors.com
"Today, after much thought and reflection, I am announcing that I have decided to retire from coaching collegiate volleyball at the end of this season," Hilbert said. "For the past 39 years - 26 of them here at Colorado State - I have been blessed to live out my dream at the best university and in the best volleyball community in the country, Colorado State University and Fort Collins, Colo.
"I have so many people to thank from our incredible fan base, fellow coaches, and administrators. But most of all I want to thank the amazing players who have been the real impetus for the success of Ram Volleyball. Thank you for all that you were willing to give… and for trusting me with your collegiate experience.
"There will be a time to celebrate and reflect, with more storytelling and memories. But this is not that time. There is still work to do. We want to win the Mountain West Championship and the Mountain West Tournament. This team is filled with amazing young women who need your support. So, let's keep our focus on this team and together, we can make 2022 a great story in Ram Volleyball history."
A historic career as one of the longest tenured coaches in Colorado State athletics history, Hilbert took over the volleyball program in 1997 and made it one of the most consistently successful programs in the nation.
Winning Mountain West Coach of the Year 12 times throughout his career as well as leading the Rams to 23 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, Hilbert's impact on Ram volleyball is one which will continue to impact the program for years to come.
"Over the past 26 years, Tom Hilbert has meant so much to Colorado State Athletics, the university, and the Fort Collins community, and we congratulate him on his hall of fame coaching career," Athletic Director Joe Parker said. "We work tirelessly to develop a Championship Culture across the entire department, and our volleyball program and the community Tom has built around it serve as a model in our overall efforts. He has mentored hundreds of Ram volleyball student-athletes over his decorated career who graduated with a meaningful degree and, more often than not, a conference championship ring."
"There will be time ahead to celebrate Tom and his career in a much larger way, but our program still has Mountain West championship aspirations and will host the Mountain West Volleyball Tournament in Moby Arena during the week of Thanksgiving. In our eyes, the best way for fans of our program to celebrate him now is to wrap their arms around this team, pack Moby Arena for the final two home games, and cheer them on throughout the tournament. Congratulations, Tom, on a remarkable career and all that you have achieved!"
Retiring after his 35th career season as a
Hilbert was inducted into the CSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006 with numerous accolades to his name including becoming the winningest coach in any sport in Colorado State history, earning a victory over UNLV, his 353rd overall, in Fort Collins on November 4, 2010.
Hilbert has coached 11 players who have earned AVCA All-America selections, including five in the past decade. On four occasions, a Ram has been named a Volleyball Magazine All-American, and 33 times one of Hilbert's players has been named All-America Honorable Mention by either the AVCA or Volleyball Magazine. Under Hilbert, Colorado State also earned 15 Mountain West Player of the Year awards in the league's 23-year history, and a total of 98 all-conference selections.
Through his tenure at Colorado State, Hilbert has never let more than a four-year gap go by without winning a conference title. So, unless an athlete transferred out of the program, a full four year's under Hilbert guaranteed at least one conference championship ring.
Colorado State will begin a national search for the next head coach of the program immediately and has retained Bowlsby Sports Advisors to assist in the search. Kyle Bowlsby can be reached at Kyle@bowlsbysportsadvisors.com