Matt Ulmer - Head Coach - Staff Directory - University of Oregon Athletics

Staff Directory

Matt Ulmer

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Head Coach
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Through seven seasons as head coach of the Oregon volleyball program, Matt Ulmer has led the Ducks to six NCAA Tournament appearances including runs to the Elite 8 in 2018, 2022 and 2023, and an additional trip to the Sweet 16 during the 2021 spring season. Ulmer is 142-69 overall (.673 winning percentage) with an 88-50 record in Pac-12 play.

Oregon finished the 2023 campaign with a 29-6 record which represents a program high for wins under Ulmer. The Ducks made a second-consecutive trip to the Elite Eight, and after spending the entire season ranked among the top 10 in the country, Oregon checked in at No. 7 in the final poll. The team also earned NCAA first- and second-round hosting duties, marking the first time the Ducks hosted in back-to-back seasons.

At season's end, the Ducks collected a program-high six AVCA All-America honors including three team selections. Setter Hannah Pukis earned a spot on the First Team while middle blocker Kara McGhee and opposite Morgan Lewis landed on the second and third teams, respectively. Honorable mention performers included outside hitters Mimi Colyer and Gabby Gonzales, and libero Georgia Murphy.

Pukis became the fifth UO player named to the AVCA First Team and the second setter, joining Lauren Plum from 2012.

It marked the fourth time in Oregon history, and third time under Ulmer, that the program earned three AVCA All-America (team) honors in the same season.

AVCA All-America Trios Under Matt Ulmer
2023: Hannah Pukis (1), Kara McGhee (2), Morgan Lewis (3)
2022: Brooke Nuneviller (1), Hannah Pukis (2), Mimi Colyer (3)
2018: Ronika Stone (2), August Raskie (3), Lindsey Vander Weide (3)

Six Ducks—Pukis, Murphy, Gonzales, Lewis, McGhee and Karson Bacon—were all selected in the 2023 Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) Player Draft. On opening day of the new professional league in the United States, 11 #ProDucks were on a team roster.

Sixteen players during Ulmer's tenure are currently playing professionally.

Ulmer was named head coach in April 2017 after three years on the Oregon staff, first as an assistant coach (2014-15) before being promoted to associate head coach in 2016. On the heels of the Ducks' stellar 2022 season, Ulmer received an extension through 2027.

Oregon finished the 2022 season with a 26-6 record including a 17-3 mark in Pac-12 play. The Ducks’ 17 conference wins set a program record, surpassing the 2012 national runner-up team that went 16-4 in league play.

The Ducks finished second in the Pac-12 four times (2018, ‘20, ‘22, ‘23) in Ulmer’s tenure.

During their 2022 postseason run, the Ducks were chosen to host the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in program history and responded with wins over Loyola Marymount and Arkansas to cap an undefeated (14-0) home record at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon went on to defeat Nebraska in five sets to advance to the program's third regional final.

Ulmer reached a career milestone during the 2022 season, picking up his 100th victory as UO head coach in the team's straight-set win over Colorado (Oct. 23).

Individually, the Ducks collected three AVCA All-Americans in 2022 with the standout efforts of Brooke Nuneviller (first team), Pukis (second team) and Colyer (third team). Colyer, along with Pac-12 and regional honors, was named the 2022 AVCA National Freshman of the Year, a first for the Oregon program. With her selection, Nuneviller became the first three-time All-American in Oregon history, and fourth to earn First-Team accolades.

The Ducks capped an unprecedented 2021 calendar year with a 22-9 record in the fall campaign. The season featured the program’s fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament under Ulmer and five wins over ranked opponents, including Oregon’s first-ever season sweep of Stanford and a straight-set victory over Penn State in Eugene during the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge.

Individually, Nuneviller earned a spot ont the AVCA All-America Second Team for a second-consecutive season, and became the first UO player to win AVCA Pacific North Region Player of the Year.

Additional All-America selections went to Murphy (AVCA, VBMag) and Bacon (VBMag) who were both honorable mention picks. The trio collected all-region nods and was joined by Gloria Mutiri for All-Pac-12 accolades.

Ulmer led the Ducks to 15-5 record and an NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance in the 2021 spring season, the third time in four seasons that he’s led Oregon to the postseason. He guided the Ducks to a runner-up finish at 14-4 during the conference-only regular season - matching the best conference finish in the history of the program. The 14 conference wins were also tied for the second most in a season in school history, matching the total from the 2011 season and trailing only the league win total from the 2012 campaign.

Under Ulmer’s tutelage, Nuneviller was named a second-team AVCA All-American and turned in one of the best all-around seasons in conference history, becoming the first Pac-12 player in the rally scoring era to average at least 3.0 kills and 4.0 digs per set in a season.

Ulmer guided Oregon to a historic season in 2018, his second as head coach. The Ducks went 23-11 overall and 13-7 in Pac-12 play to tie for second, matching the program’s best-ever conference finish, and made a thrilling postseason run to reach UO’s second NCAA Elite Eight. After beating New Mexico State and Baylor at home to reach the Sweet Sixteen, the Ducks pulled off a huge upset of No. 2 Minnesota on its home floor, using an epic 41-39 set two win to fuel a four-set win.

Ulmer coached a UO single-season record five AVCA all-America selections, including second-team pick Ronika Stone and third-teamers August Raskie and Lindsey Vander Weide. That season also saw Nuneviller (then a freshman libero) and Willow Johnson collect AVCA honorable mention honors.

In his first match as the Ducks’ head coach, Ulmer led Oregon to a four-set upset of No. 5 ranked and eventual national champion Nebraska at the VERT Challenge, securing the program’s first win over a top-five team since 2012. Ulmer guided the 2017 Ducks to an 18-12 overall record, 10-10 in the Pac-12, and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Ulmer came to Eugene after spending seven seasons at Long Beach State, five of which were served as a full-time assistant. He was also the sand volleyball program’s head coach at Long Beach, where he led the 49ers to a national championship during the 2013 season to become the youngest head coach to win a Division I volleyball championship (indoor included, men and women).

The Ducks have made the NCAA Tournament in six of Ulmer’s seven seasons on staff, including a run to the Sweet Sixteen during his first season in 2014. In 2016, with Ulmer in an elevated role as associate head coach, the Ducks finished fourth in the Pac-12 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Ulmer was in charge of the Oregon defense, which held opponents to a .194 hitting percentage overall, the best since 2005, and a .198 hitting percentage in Pac-12 play, the best mark in conference play since 2006.

Ulmer has helped mentor nine AVCA all-American selections since arriving at Oregon, including six since taking over as head coach, with Willow Johnson and Brooke Nuneviller earning honorable mention honors in 2018 to join Stone, Raskie and Vander Weide. Nuneviller added second-team honors in the spring of 2021 while Vander Weide was also a third-team selection as a sophomore in 2016, the same year libero Amanda Benson garnered honorable mention recognition, and Taylor Agost was an honorable mention pick in 2017. Ulmer has also coached 12 All-Pac-12 selections and four Pac-12 all-freshman picks at Oregon, with Nuneviller and Mutiri becoming the latest to earn all-league honors following the 2021 spring season.

As the recruiting coordinator for the Ducks in 2016, Ulmer brought in a class that garnered the No. 2 national ranking and proved vital to yet another tournament run for Oregon. Ulmer followed that by adding the No. 4 ranked class in 2018 and No. 7 ranked class in 2019, and also helped put together two more top 10 classes in 2014 and 2015. While at Long Beach, each of Ulmer’s six recruiting classes garnered rankings, including three in the top 20 and a No. 10 ranking in 2014 that made LBSU the highest-ranked mid major program.

As a beach coach, in addition to guiding Long beach to the title in 2013, Ulmer has coached five athletes who have won FIVB medals and four that have made main draws in AVP events. He has coached four beach all-Americans, and was the only coach to appear in every national championship match, pairs and teams, in 2012 and 2013.

In addition to molding success on the court, Ulmer has been instrumental in academic excellence for his players. Ulmer’s student-athletes have garnered 12 Pac-12 all-academic honors in his time at Oregon, and 28 Big West all-academic awards during his time at Long Beach.

Away from the collegiate game, Ulmer has worked with USA Volleyball Select A1 for the past three years. In 2014, he was honored with the Long Beach Century Club Ernie Pollman Award, which recognizes an individual who impacts the community’s youth through sports.

In 2012, Ulmer was honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) as a recipient of the “Thirty Under 30” award, recognizing outstanding up-and-coming coaches in the profession throughout all levels under the age of 30. Ulmer was one of 10 coaches recognized from Division I.

Ulmer spent his playing days at Carthage College, where he was a setter under head coach LJ Marx. While at Carthage, he led the team to two National Championship appearances, and was named a first-team D-III All-American as a senior. He finished his college career as the Carthage career leader in both assists and service aces, and in 2015 he was inducted into the Carthage Hall of Fame.

While at Carthage, Ulmer also worked as an assistant coach for the women’s team, serving for five years from 2002-2006. He also worked as the club coach for TNT Volleyball Club from 2003-07, and has served with the Cal Juniors club team while in Southern California, helping the team earn two All-America selections on the way to a bronze medal in the Junior Olympics.

Ulmer completed his Master’s degree in education in 2008 at Carthage. He graduated from Carthage in May 2006.

He and wife, Kara, have two sons, Camden and Easton, and two daughters, Harper and Harlow.