A dream, a banana suit and a 'lady gang': What to know about CSU volleyball's new coach, era
It wasn't so much an introduction as a reacquaintance.
Colorado State formally introduced longtime assistant coach Emily Kohan as the Rams' new head coach and successor to legendary coach Tom Hilbert, who retired in November after 26 seasons at CSU.
A crowd of more than 100 fans and supporters welcomed the seven-year CSU assistant to the big stage at Canvas Stadium on Friday.
Athletics director Joe Parker and Kohan showed off a CSU jersey with her name on it before she laid out expectations for the program's next steps and Parker explained the hiring process.
"Emily comes to us as one of our own and that's really special when you can give someone an opportunity to step up and preserve that continuity in the program," Parker said. "There was nothing broken about CSU volleyball."
While she's not a new face for loyal CSU volleyball fans, here is what you need to know about Kohan and a new era for the Rams.
A 'dream of mine'
As a Swink native, Colorado has been home for much longer than Kohan's CSU tenure.
"This is a dream of mine," she said. "I come from a long line of Rams."
"My grandpa played football here and my dad and brother went here. I'm from a cattle ranching family in southeastern Colorado and understand what this university's mission is."
Kohan said she came from Oregon State to CSU in 2015 as a slew of assistant jobs opened up at almost every program across Colorado. But CSU was the place she always wanted to be.
"I took it as a sign to come home and I practically stalked Tom Hilbert out," she laughed. "I wanted the chance to learn from him and be home with this program.
"This is home for more than just a geographical purpose."
As if to prove it, with family sitting front row, she talked about how deep those Rams roots run.
"I think Colorado (State) is a destination that a lot of people want to continue their coaching career at. But it's especially home for my family.
"My dad's (pajamas) are called the banana suit in our family. Since college, he's had these bright yellow CSU sweatpants and shirt. He still busts out the banana suit all the time. So the first game, I'm going to have him wear it," she joked.
Rams' reactions
Parker said CSU players were nervous at a Tuesday morning meeting, where he announced Kohan's hire. Their reaction, though, validated the hire immediately in his mind.
"They were visibly feeling a letdown because the way I phrased it at first put some uncertainty in their heads. But as soon as we announced her and she came running in the door, they just lit up.
"That was gratifying to see their response and affirmation that we made an extraordinary decision."
Kohan briefly left the game after graduating college before taking an initially-unpaid position at OSU in 2011 just to get back in the sport. The player reaction to her hire and the relationships they share were a reminder of why she chose coaching.
"They are the why and the reason why this is my calling," Kohan reiterated. "...These girls are the best role models for all the little Rams, too, and we have a lot of little Rams running around our office."
Evolution of CSU volleyball
Kohan didn't shy away from the expectations of a program that made 23 consecutive NCAA Tournaments and won 18 Mountain West titles under Hilbert.
"I'm here to win championships," she said. "That's what CSU volleyball does. I'm here to build on what Tom Hilbert and Rich Feller did because we have a great foundation with a lot of talent in that locker room and a great culture and a rich history of winning."
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That said, she spoke about the need to keep pace with the "evolution of the sport" and what that will look like.
"I love gritty, junkyard players, so that's got to be a big focus of our training," Kohan said. "We have some incredible athletes who can touch really high and hit hard, but I want to see that grit ... It doesn't always have to be beautiful, but I want it to be successful."
Season schedules will continue to be tough, designed to draw fans and challenge CSU in nonconference play.
And expect the Rams to play with even more tempo going forward, a necessary change to keep up in the evolving women's college volleyball game.
"I was just at the (NCAA volleyball) Final Four and back row attacking is becoming an absolute weapon," Kohan said. "The game's getting faster. The sets are faster and the girls can handle more tempo. There are some Xs and Os evolution that our offense needs to evolve into."
Community continues
One thing that won't change under Kohan? A commitment to the robust community that formed around the program under Hilbert.
"There is something absolutely special about volleyball at CSU and the way the community has embraced the program," Parker said. "We felt a huge responsibility to make sure this community stays together and continues to grow. The strongest endorsement he provided was for Emily. He knows that she's built authentic relationships here."
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Kohan said that mission remains unchanged. You'll see the Rams be a staple around Fort Collins, one that always takes time for fans, especially young ones.
"So many coaches (at the Final Four) said, 'Congratulations, what a gig! That place loves volleyball.' So I'd love to keep building on that with Moby as one of the best places in the country to play.
"There's no doubt you guys score points for us in Moby Arena. So many recruits, the first thing we show them is our homecourt environment."
Kohan's 'lady gang'
Kohan's staff won't look very different, at least by the names on the bench.
"Our staff is onboard," she said. "The ones you know are here to stay," referencing CSU assistants Adrianna Blackman and Bri Olmstead.
Kohan did announce that the other paid assistant coaching position will be filled by Sonja Newcombe, a volunteer assistant with the Rams since 2019.
That means CSU's staff will be all-female, a rarity even in the women's game.
"I don't think there's very many all-female staffs in the country," Kohan said. "It wasn't necessarily intentional, but these are some amazing workers and coaches and they can still mix it up in practice as former players."
"We have, excuse my language, a badass lady gang."
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How the hire happened
"We've done this a few times, so we have the formula together," said Parker, the Rams' AD since 2015.
While not revealing everything about the confidential process, he laid out how the hire came together.
"Imagine a big funnel and we narrowed it quickly to probably 40 people," Parker said. "After that, we reserved eight virtual first-round interview opportunities and then campus tours. Everybody had the same experience during the process."
That led to a humorous moment or two, like when Kohan conducted the first-round virtual interview from her office, just feet away from Parker and other CSU administrators a mere floor above her in the McGraw Athletic Center.
Parker said he had discussed a timeline with Hilbert earlier in the fall and especially wanted a new coach in place sooner than later given the current transfer landscape in college sports.
"As much as (Emily) wanted it, she knew we had to go through the process."
Kohan agreed, saying, "From the time we knew Tom was going to retire, (CSU) ran a great process that was efficient and that cared about the team and what our needs were."
The search for Hilbert's successor was a national one, assisted by Bowlsby Sports Advisors with consultation from Hilbert himself at times, Parker said.
Ultimately, it was a process that took CSU right back where it started: Kohan, a Colorado native and a beloved assistant within the program.
"We're confident in the way we approached it and we feel really, really great about where this landed," Parker said.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: New Colorado State volleyball coach: What to know about Emily Kohan
