Nashville, Tennessee — A rising star in the coaching industry and an integral part of the first SEC volleyball program to win a national championship, Anders Nelson (pronounced Anders) ushers in a new era of Vanderbilt volleyball as the reintroduced program’s first head coach. The university announced that it would usher in the .
This April, Vanderbilt announced the addition of volleyball as its 17th college sport. The program was discontinued after his 80th academic year from 1979.
“To join the Vanderbilt family as the head coach of this new era of volleyball is an honor like no other,” said Nelson. I learned to value opportunities to influence how young people see themselves and the world around them.
“Challenging and supporting student-athletes to be their best on the court unlocks their potential off the court. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build an SEC program based on the principles of , and I am grateful to Chancellor Daniel Deermeyer and Candice Lee for entrusting me with doing it by 2025. We have a lot to do and can’t wait to get started.”
Most recently, as Associate Head Coach at the University of Kentucky, he helped coach student-athletes who won the 2020 NCAA Championship, most recently extending their winning streak to at least a share of the SEC Championship for six straight times. Play in the 2025-26 school year.
“We want volleyball student-athletes to step into a championship-level program, so we want Anders Nelson to step up,” said Candice Lee, Vice President of Athletics and Head of Athletics at Vanderbilt University. I am very excited to welcome you as my first coach.” “Nelson not only has valuable experience as a member of SEC and NCAA championship teams, but he also embraces and understands the unique opportunity that Vanderbilt has. As we promised in our Vandy United campaign, we want to reimagine what’s possible for Vanderbilt Athletics and now join us. This gives Coach Nelson time to immerse himself in our supportive environment and help build every aspect of this program from the ground up.”
Nelson, 35, has spent the past 11 seasons with Kentucky, first as an assistant coach and the past seven as an associate head coach. The Wildcats reached his NCAA Tournament in each of his 11 seasons at Lexington, advancing to at least the second round on all but one occasion. In his seven seasons as an associate head coach, Kentucky has compiled his 117-11 record in official SEC games, including his full 18-win record in 2018, at least his six conferences. won part of the title. Due to the COVID pandemic, Kentucky defeated former national champions Washington and Texas in the Final Four to win the SEC’s first volleyball national title. Madison Lilly has helped him with recruiting and unlocking their potential.
Nelson also served as a volunteer assistant for the Wildcats in 2011 and an assistant coach for the University of Arkansas in 2012. He has also worked as an assistant coach and as a college student-athlete, playing Mantiana Volleyball where he led his club to an AAU National Championship and Muncie High School where he led Barris Institute High School to two Indiana State High School Championships. He achieved a record of 79-0.
Growing up in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, Nelson was exposed to volleyball at an early age. His older sister, Meredith Nelson Ulam, was ranked among the top high school recruits in the nation and earned All-America honors as a middle blocker at the University of Minnesota. Played three seasons of Division I men’s volleyball as a middle blocker at State University. In his final season, he was named to his AVCA All-America Second Team and ranked fourth nationally in blocks per game. Academically, Nelson graduated with honors after double majoring in accounting and finance. He also received his prestigious NCAA graduate scholarship after spending time at Ball State University and completed his MBA in Kentucky in 2018.
The program’s first incarnation, Vanderbilt, entered its first officially recognized SEC tournament in 1979, two years before the NCAA’s first women’s volleyball championship. Vanderbilt’s reintroduction of volleyball means all 16 SEC schools will sponsor her national team program when Oklahoma and Texas attend the conference in 2025.
According to the National Federation of High School Associations, volleyball is the second most attended high school sport for girls in the nation and the second most popular sport in girls’ high schools in Tennessee, with nearly 7,000 participants. The 2021 NCAA Division I Championship game between Nebraska and Wisconsin drew a record 1.19 million viewers on ESPN and his record attendance of 18,755 in Columbus, Ohio.
“For Vanderbilt to live up to its mission, we must constantly seek new opportunities for growth,” said Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeyer. “The hiring of Anders Nelson to lead the reintroduction of our volleyball program is further evidence of our commitment to move forward boldly. He is the ideal person to foster a thriving volleyball community in Central Tennessee and build programs that prepare student-athletes to reach their potential for a lifetime.”
Announcements regarding Nelson staff and other implementation schedule elements will be made in due course.
Further details regarding media availability and the opportunity to welcome Nelson and her husband, Mark Hemberger, to Vanderbilt will also be announced in due course.
