Sam Crosson Returns to Cal Poly Volleyball as Associate Head Coach
2/23/2026 1:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Sam Crosson, a two-time Big West Coach of the Year and AVCA West Region Coach of the Year, will join Caroline Walters’ staff as associate head coach. He returns after a seven-year coaching stint in the Bay Area, serving as head coach for the California Golden Bears and West Valley College Vikings.
Working with Sam again means so much to me. I grew tremendously under him, we won two Big West Championships together, and he taught me so much about the game and how to train at a championship level. There’s a real trust and shared standard between us that comes from having built success together the first go around.Head Coach Caroline Walters
During his tenure at Cal Poly, Crosson compiled a 114-83 record across seven seasons at Mott Athletics Center (2012-18) before stepping down as head coach to lead the California Golden Bears. His legendary 2017 and 2018 teams both made the NCAA postseason and still stand as some of the program’s all-time best.
In 2017, Crosson was named AVCA Pacific North Region and Big West Coach of the Year after guiding the Mustangs to their most successful season in program history with a 27-3 record. Cal Poly also secured a Big West title after going undefeated in Big West Conference play.
Crosson doubled down on that success in 2018, leading the Mustangs to their highest national ranking (No. 11) since 2008 and finishing just two wins shy of matching the previous year's record at 25-5. Cal Poly again clinched the conference title, and Crosson earned his second consecutive Big West Coach of the Year honor. The Mustangs closed the season ranked 22nd, a year also highlighted by a pair of AVCA All-America nods for Adlee Van Winden and Torrey Van Winden, with Torrey being named Big West Player of the Year.
This place has always been home for me and my family, even after we left. The opportunity here was an amazing combination of heading back to my roots personally but also returning to what I liked most about coaching: technical instruction and recruiting. It’s a nice position to be able to support Caroline with whatever I can, and it’s an especially good time to be around the players and establish a rapport with them.Associate Head Coach Sam Crosson
Regarded for his technical acumen and recruiting prowess, Crosson has coached 21 Division I All-Conference honorees, All-Americans, and the 2010 AVCA Player of the Year.
Crosson’s collegiate coaching career began in 2004 as a volunteer assistant with the Santa Clara University women's volleyball team. In this role, he supported practice planning, player training, and match preparation.
From 2005 to 2009, Crosson served as the top assistant coach at Saint Mary's College, where he acted as recruiting coordinator and offensive coordinator and led technical training for setters and middle blockers. Under his guidance, the Gaels led the West Coast Conference (WCC) in blocking each season, ranking as high as second nationally in blocks per set (3.82) in 2005. Key highlights include a 20-8 overall record and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2008, as well as a 23-5 overall record (second-best in program history), the program’s first WCC title, and an NCAA Tournament second-round appearance in 2009.
Crosson also secured multiple recruiting classes that earned honorable mention rankings from PrepVolleyball.com, and the team placed a middle blocker on the WCC All-Freshman Team from 2005 to 2007.
Crosson then joined the University of California, Berkeley, as an assistant coach from 2010 to 2011, focusing on video analysis, offensive and defensive systems, and the development of setters and middle blockers. His contributions helped propel the Golden Bears to elite performances: a Pac-10 Conference title and an NCAA Tournament national runner-up finish (the program’s only championship game appearance) in 2010, followed by a 26-7 overall record and another NCAA Tournament appearance in 2011.
In January 2012, Crosson was named head coach at Cal Poly, where he rebuilt the Mustangs into a national contender over seven seasons, compiling a 114-83 overall record and a 67-48 mark in Big West Conference play. He also pioneered the program's beach volleyball team, serving as head coach from 2014 to 2015 before hiring Olympic gold medalist Todd Rogers. Year-by-year records and accolades include:
2012: 5-26 overall
2013: 12-17 overall, 6-10 Big West
2014: 9-17 overall, 4-12 Big West
2015: 19-8 overall, 11-5 Big West
2016: 17-9 overall, 10-5 Big West
2017: 27-3 overall, 16-0 Big West (conference champions), NCAA Tournament appearance; AVCA Pacific North Region Coach of the Year and Big West Coach of the Year
2018: 25-5 overall, 15-1 Big West (conference champions), NCAA Tournament appearance; named Big West Coach of the Year (back-to-back)
Returning to Cal as head coach from 2019 to 2022, Crosson compiled a 35-78 overall record in four seasons. Despite challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, his first year was a standout: 20-10 overall, ranked in the AVCA Top 25 for eight weeks. Subsequent seasons saw rebuilding efforts amid conference competition, with records impacted by a shortened schedule in 2020.
Crosson graduated from Pacific in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in sports sciences and earned his master’s in sports sciences from the university in 2005. A native of Santa Cruz, California, Crosson and his wife, Courtney, have two daughters, Makenna and Logan.
He brings an elite volleyball IQ, incredible attention to detail, and a competitive edge that elevates everyone around him. He’s outstanding at developing athletes and creating daily accountability, and I know he’ll raise the level of both our team and our staff as we pursue more Big West titles and NCAA Tournament runs. We're excited to welcome Sam, Courtney and their daughters Makenna and Logan back to San Luis Obispo.Head Coach Caroline Walters
