Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. – After 15 successful seasons leading the Midland University volleyball program, Paul Giesselmann has announced his retirement from coaching. Giesselmann’s tenure, which began in 2010, was marked by unprecedented success at the conference and national levels. He will leave a lasting legacy on the Midland volleyball program.
Giesselmann finishes his coaching career with a 351-141 record at Midland, a .713 winning percentage, including 102 wins over ranked opponents. Under his leadership, the Warriors reached the NAIA National Championship 11 times and made four semifinal appearances (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022), highlighted by a runner-up finish in 2020.
A testament to his team’s success, Midland has been ranked in the NAIA Volleyball Coaches’ Poll for 35 consecutive polls, with five weeks spent at No. 1. During his time, his teams earned 21 victories over Top 5-ranked teams and 42 over Top 10-ranked opponents, including three wins over the No. 1-ranked teams in the nation.
Throughout his tenure, Coach Giesselmann developed players who excelled both on and off the court. His athletes earned 17 NAIA All-America honors, including the 2022 NAIA Setter of the Year, Hope Leimbach, and the 2015 NAIA Freshman of the Year, Priscilla O’Dowd. Additionally, he had players earn 12 NAIA All-Tournament Team selections, four CSC Academic All-America honors, and 52 All-GPAC honors. His program also earned 13 consecutive AVCA Team Academic Awards for excellence in the classroom.
“It has been an honor for me to lead the Midland Volleyball program for the last 15 years,” said Giesselmann. “I have been very fortunate to have worked for three great athletic directors at Midland—Keith Kramme, who trusted me to lead the program when he hired me, and Dave [Gillespie] and Courtney [Thomsen]. Each of them believed in what I was doing and always supported me.”
“Coach Giesselmann’s impact on Midland University and our volleyball program is immeasurable,” said Midland Director of Athletics, Courtney Thomsen. “He has built a championship culture, not just through victories, but by developing student-athletes who represent the very best of Midland’s values. His dedication to excellence has elevated our volleyball program to national prominence, and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of Warriors.”
Giesselmann is the all-time winningest coach in Midland history with 351 victories, and he also holds the all-time wins record at the College of Saint Mary with 227 victories. While at CSM, he guided the Flames to four straight NAIA Tournaments and reached the quarterfinals three times. In 2000, they reached the national semifinals, and he was named the NAIA National Coach of the Year. During his eight seasons at CSM, Giesselmann was named the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) Coach of the Year seven times. He was also named the Omaha World-Herald State College Women’s Coach of the Year twice (1999 and 2013). His career record stands at 578-221, one of the best in NAIA history.
“I want to thank my assistant coaches, who gave so much of their time to help make this program a great experience for the players,” added Giesselmann. “I also want to thank all of the support staff who have worked with our program over the last 15 years. They were instrumental in the players’ success and in getting their stories out. I want to thank all the volleyball alums who trusted me to be their coach and the parents who believed in our program’s culture of servant leadership as well as academic and athletic excellence. My biggest joy as a coach is to see our alums winning in life.”
“I could not have had the success I did over my career without the great family support from Paige and my kids. Having Hunter and Garret play golf at Midland and be around the volleyball program was a great experience. Ansley is now going to start her college career at Central Missouri, and I want to be around to see her compete.”
Coach Giesselmann’s retirement marks the end of an era for Midland Volleyball, but his influence will undoubtedly continue to be felt throughout the program and beyond. Micah Rhodes, who has served as an assistant coach the past two seasons, will ascend to the head coaching position.
