Minneapolis, MN -- North Central University (NCU) Athletics is thrilled to announce the hiring of John Olmanson as its new head coach for women's volleyball. Olmanson brings more than 20 years of coaching experience to North Central, highlighted by successful leadership at both the NCAA Division III and NJCAA DII collegiate levels, extensive UMAC experience, and a long-standing presence in the Midwest Junior Olympic volleyball scene. John will be leading the NCU Volleyball program in all aspects. He begins his new role with North Central on Monday, May 18th.

Olmanson joins the Rams after most recently serving as the Head Volleyball Coach at Dakota County Technical College (DCTC), where he spent the past three seasons leading the Blue Knights. During his time at DCTC, Olmanson helped guide the program to 24 total wins. After inheriting a team that finished with just one win in his first season, Olmanson led DCTC to a 14-13 record in his second season at the helm.

Prior to DCTC, Olmanson spent 10 seasons as the head coach of the Bethany Lutheran College women's volleyball program. During his tenure with the Vikings, he became the winningest coach in program history during the NCAA Division III era. He led the program to five UMAC postseason tournament appearances. Olmanson coached several All-Conference student-athletes during his time at Bethany Lutheran and helped guide the Vikings to some of the most successful seasons in the program's modern history. While at Bethany Lutheran, Olmanson also served as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Advisor. In that role, he worked closely with student leaders to promote campus engagement, leadership development, community outreach initiatives, and student-athlete wellbeing. He also assisted SAAC members in implementing the Green Bandana Project on campus while helping student-athletes strengthen their organizational, leadership, and time-management skills.

Beyond the collegiate level, Olmanson brings more than two decades of coaching experience across high school and Junior Olympic volleyball. He currently serves as a Head Girls Volleyball Coach for Impact Volleyball Club in St. Paul and Crossfire Volleyball Club in Champlin. Olmanson also previously owned and directed Club Sota Volleyball and S.P.I.K.E Performance Camps, where he organized camps, clinics, tournaments, and developmental programming for athletes throughout the Twin Cities area. His experience includes recruiting and mentoring coaches, coordinating travel and logistics, and growing youth volleyball opportunities across Minnesota. Before entering collegiate coaching, he also served as the head coach at Como Park High School, where his team posted a 10-2 conference record during his final season.

He currently serves on the North Country Region (NCR) Board of Directors as Treasurer and holds multiple USA Volleyball coaching certifications. In addition to his coaching background, Olmanson also brings extensive professional leadership experience from the business and sales industries, where he spent more than 15 years building relationships, leading teams, and developing strategic partnerships.

"I'm excited for this opportunity at North Central University for a number of reasons," said Olmanson. "I'm looking forward to being back in the NCAA Division III and UMAC. While I truly enjoyed my years at Dakota County Technical College, I found that I missed having four years to get to know, work with, and connect with my athletes. Our immediate focus will be to add to our roster of returning athletes and create an environment that makes us as competitive as we can be, as quickly as we can, while also doing what we can to ensure the athletes have a great experience."

John currently resides in West St. Paul, Minnesota, with his wife Sarah and their two daughters, Emma and Olivia. A native of Nicollet, Minnesota, Olmanson has spent much of his life involved in athletics and youth development throughout the Twin Cities area. Outside of volleyball, he enjoys spending time with family, traveling, camping, and boating.

Welcome, Coach Olmanson!