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Courtesy of Midland Athletics

FREMONT, Neb. – Midland University has announced the hiring of Micah Rhodes as the next head coach of its volleyball program. Rhodes, who has served as the team’s assistant coach and recruiting coordinator under outgoing coach Paul Giesselmann for the past two seasons, takes over the nationally recognized program after playing a key role in its recent success.

“I am very happy that Midland decided to give Micah the opportunity to lead Midland Volleyball going forward,” Giesselmann said. “He is a talented coach who will continue to push the program to new heights. I wish Micah and the players much success.”

Rhodes joined Midland prior to the 2023 season as a volunteer assistant before being promoted to full-time assistant coach. In his first season, he helped guide the Warriors to a top-four finish in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) and a quarterfinal appearance in the 2023 NAIA national tournament. His primary focus has been working with the team’s offense and blocking, particularly with the pin attackers and middle blockers. Under his guidance, Midland ranked second nationally in blocks per set (2.99) during the 2023 season.

“We are excited to have Micah Rhodes step into the role of head coach for Midland Volleyball,” said Courtney Thomsen, Midland’s director of athletics. “Over the past two seasons as an assistant under Coach Giesselmann, he has demonstrated a deep passion for the program, a strong commitment to our student-athletes, and a clear vision for continued success. His leadership and dedication made him the right choice to build upon the championship culture of Midland Volleyball.”

Before joining Midland, Rhodes spent three seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Bellevue University, where he played a vital role in the Bruins’ blocking and offensive strategies. Bellevue finished ninth nationally in blocks per set in 2022. In 2021, he was honored as the AVCA North Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year and the North Star Athletic Association Assistant Coach of the Year after helping Bellevue reach the NAIA national tournament final eight for the first time since 2000.

Prior to his tenure at Bellevue, Rhodes served as the director of operations at Creighton University in 2019 and as an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha from 2017 to 2018, where he coordinated offense and blocking. His coaching career also includes time as a volunteer assistant at Creighton in 2016, where he was part of the BIG EAST Volleyball Coaching Staff of the Year that guided the Bluejays to their first NCAA Elite Eight appearance.

Rhodes began his coaching career at Buena Vista University from 2012 to 2016, where he helped develop multiple all-conference players and served as interim head coach for most of 2015. He has also been active in club volleyball, coaching at Premier Volleyball Club in Omaha and leading nationally ranked teams.

A native of Grand Island, Nebraska, Rhodes was a student manager for the Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball team from 2008-11 while competing as a three-year starting outside hitter for the men’s club volleyball program. He earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a major in advertising and public relations from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2011.

“It is an incredible honor to be named the new head volleyball coach at Midland University,” Rhodes said. “First and foremost, I want to thank my athletic director, Courtney Thomsen, as well as Coach Giesselmann, for having the confidence in me to lead such a prestigious and accomplished program. This is truly a dream come true and a surreal moment in my coaching career.

“While I have every intention of continuing Coach Giesselmann’s legacy, I’m excited for the opportunity to implement my own ideas and values. Having been an assistant coach for over a decade across multiple levels and divisions, and having learned from some of Nebraska’s greatest collegiate coaches—including Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Rose Shires, and Paul Giesselmann—I am confident in my ability to take everything I’ve learned and shape my own legacy at Midland.

“Midland Volleyball will continue to be a program built on servant leadership and the holistic development of student-athletes. My ultimate goal is for each player to be successful on the court, in the classroom, and within the community. The best way to achieve that is by fostering genuine relationships that go beyond volleyball. Our standards and expectations won’t change. A national championship remains the ultimate goal, and I’m looking forward to that chase and the journey along the way. Go Warriors!”

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