University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Matt Werle Named UCLA Women's Volleyball Head Coach
February 06, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
LOS ANGELES โย UCLA Athletics has named Matt Werle the next head coach of the UCLA women's volleyball program. Werle arrives in Westwood after a successful stint at Kansas and a decade of meteoric success as the head coach of Grand Canyon University's men's volleyball program.ย
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Werle spent the 2025 season at Kansas as the program's Associate Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator, where he helped guide the Jayhawks to a Sweet 16 appearance. Kansas hosted the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament, defeating High Point and No. 17 Miami before falling to top-seeded Nebraska.
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In his 10 seasons at Grand Canyon, Werle posted a 154-93 record and quickly elevated the Lopes into a national contender. During the 2024 campaign, Werle steered Grand Canyon to its first-ever No. 1 national ranking and coached the program's first AVCA First Team All-American. He was named both MPSF and AVCA National Coach of the Year after leading the Lopes to their first MPSF Championship and the program's first NCAA Tournament victory.
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"I would like to thank Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond, Senior Associate Athletics Director Dr. Kenny Donaldson, and the entire UCLA Athletic Department for the opportunity to lead this prestigious program," Werle said. "My family and I are truly humbled and honored, and I do not take this responsibility lightly. I have long admired UCLA Athletics and am excited to build upon the excellence and tradition already in place. The character, competitiveness, and potential of this team are incredibly inspiring, and I look forward to working together to achieve our shared goals. Go Bruins!"
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"Matt Werle is a proven winner who develops student-athletes," said The Alice and Nahum Lainer Family Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond. "He understands what it takes to build a successful program, having led Grand Canyon to its first MPSF championship and first NCAA Tournament win. He has won at every level as a coach and as a player, and I have confidence that he will keep this program on an upward trajectory. We are excited to welcome Matt, his wife and his two children to Westwood!"
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Werle's 2023 squad delivered the winningest season in Grand Canyon history, finishing 22-8 and earning the program's first NCAA Tournament berth. Five Lopes earned AVCA All-America honors that year, including Jackson Hickman on the second team. In 2022, Werle became the first Grand Canyon head coach to reach 100 career wins, part of a run that also saw him become the winningest coach in program history in 2020.
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"Matt's coaching résumé and accolades speak for themselves, but what truly impressed me was his character and the way people spoke about the impact he had on the lives of the student-athletes he came into contact with," said Senior Associate Athletics Director, Academic & Championship Excellence Kenny Donaldson. "I am confident that our student-athletes will develop and be successful both on and beyond the court under Matt's leadership."
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Before rising through the Division I ranks, Werle gained early head coaching experience on the women's side at Mesa Community College from 2014 to 2016. He managed all facets of the program, including training, match preparation, academic support, recruiting guidance, and program administration.
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Werle began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Grand Canyon from 2011 to 2014. His development also includes extensive USA Volleyball experience, serving as head coach for the USA NORCECA Championship Cup team, head coach within USA High Performance, and assistant coach for the USA National Training Development Program.
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A native of Meadville, Pennsylvania, Werle brings elite playing experience to Westwood. He was Team USA's starting setter at the 2007 Junior World Championships, trained with the U.S. Men's National Team in 2010, and played professionally for the Naranjito Changos in Puerto Rico. A member of the Juniata College Hall of Fame, Werle was a four-time All-American and a setter on three NCAA Division III championship teams. He is the only individual to earn both AVCA Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors.
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"Lastly, I would like to thank Matt Ulmer [Kansas Women's Volleyball Head Coach], Travis Goff [Kansas Director of Athletics], Nicole Corcoran [Kansas Deputy Athletics Director for Sports Administration and Student-Athlete Well-Being/Senior Woman Administrator], and all of Kansas Athletics for welcoming me in Lawrence with open arms," Werle said. "Lawrence and Kansas Athletics will forever have a place in my family's heart."
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Werle holds an MBA with an emphasis in leadership from Grand Canyon and a bachelor's degree in business administration and sports management from Juniata College.
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Werle was born in San Mateo, Calif., where he lived for most of his childhood. He shares the same birthplace as former UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame head coach Andy Banachowski. Banachowski served as the Bruins' head coach for 43 years. He guided the Bruins to six national championships and 1,106 victories, which stood as the Division I record until 2013.
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He and his wife, Sarah (Clause), a former collegiate standout at Long Beach State and Arizona State, have two children, Palmer and Krew.
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Werle spent the 2025 season at Kansas as the program's Associate Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator, where he helped guide the Jayhawks to a Sweet 16 appearance. Kansas hosted the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament, defeating High Point and No. 17 Miami before falling to top-seeded Nebraska.
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In his 10 seasons at Grand Canyon, Werle posted a 154-93 record and quickly elevated the Lopes into a national contender. During the 2024 campaign, Werle steered Grand Canyon to its first-ever No. 1 national ranking and coached the program's first AVCA First Team All-American. He was named both MPSF and AVCA National Coach of the Year after leading the Lopes to their first MPSF Championship and the program's first NCAA Tournament victory.
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"I would like to thank Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond, Senior Associate Athletics Director Dr. Kenny Donaldson, and the entire UCLA Athletic Department for the opportunity to lead this prestigious program," Werle said. "My family and I are truly humbled and honored, and I do not take this responsibility lightly. I have long admired UCLA Athletics and am excited to build upon the excellence and tradition already in place. The character, competitiveness, and potential of this team are incredibly inspiring, and I look forward to working together to achieve our shared goals. Go Bruins!"
ย
"Matt Werle is a proven winner who develops student-athletes," said The Alice and Nahum Lainer Family Director of Athletics Martin Jarmond. "He understands what it takes to build a successful program, having led Grand Canyon to its first MPSF championship and first NCAA Tournament win. He has won at every level as a coach and as a player, and I have confidence that he will keep this program on an upward trajectory. We are excited to welcome Matt, his wife and his two children to Westwood!"
ย
Werle's 2023 squad delivered the winningest season in Grand Canyon history, finishing 22-8 and earning the program's first NCAA Tournament berth. Five Lopes earned AVCA All-America honors that year, including Jackson Hickman on the second team. In 2022, Werle became the first Grand Canyon head coach to reach 100 career wins, part of a run that also saw him become the winningest coach in program history in 2020.
ย
"Matt's coaching résumé and accolades speak for themselves, but what truly impressed me was his character and the way people spoke about the impact he had on the lives of the student-athletes he came into contact with," said Senior Associate Athletics Director, Academic & Championship Excellence Kenny Donaldson. "I am confident that our student-athletes will develop and be successful both on and beyond the court under Matt's leadership."
ย
Before rising through the Division I ranks, Werle gained early head coaching experience on the women's side at Mesa Community College from 2014 to 2016. He managed all facets of the program, including training, match preparation, academic support, recruiting guidance, and program administration.
ย
Werle began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Grand Canyon from 2011 to 2014. His development also includes extensive USA Volleyball experience, serving as head coach for the USA NORCECA Championship Cup team, head coach within USA High Performance, and assistant coach for the USA National Training Development Program.
ย
A native of Meadville, Pennsylvania, Werle brings elite playing experience to Westwood. He was Team USA's starting setter at the 2007 Junior World Championships, trained with the U.S. Men's National Team in 2010, and played professionally for the Naranjito Changos in Puerto Rico. A member of the Juniata College Hall of Fame, Werle was a four-time All-American and a setter on three NCAA Division III championship teams. He is the only individual to earn both AVCA Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors.
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"Lastly, I would like to thank Matt Ulmer [Kansas Women's Volleyball Head Coach], Travis Goff [Kansas Director of Athletics], Nicole Corcoran [Kansas Deputy Athletics Director for Sports Administration and Student-Athlete Well-Being/Senior Woman Administrator], and all of Kansas Athletics for welcoming me in Lawrence with open arms," Werle said. "Lawrence and Kansas Athletics will forever have a place in my family's heart."
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Werle holds an MBA with an emphasis in leadership from Grand Canyon and a bachelor's degree in business administration and sports management from Juniata College.
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Werle was born in San Mateo, Calif., where he lived for most of his childhood. He shares the same birthplace as former UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame head coach Andy Banachowski. Banachowski served as the Bruins' head coach for 43 years. He guided the Bruins to six national championships and 1,106 victories, which stood as the Division I record until 2013.
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He and his wife, Sarah (Clause), a former collegiate standout at Long Beach State and Arizona State, have two children, Palmer and Krew.
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