Tom Hilbert - Volleyball Coach - Colorado State Athletics

Photo by: Nick Monaghan

Tom Hilbert

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
tom.hilbert@colostate.edu
Phone:
(970) 491-6410

The Colorado State women’s volleyball program has become synonymous with consistent winning under the guidance and direction of Head Coach Tom Hilbert, who enters his 26th season with the Rams and his 35th overall as a collegiate head coach in 2022.

With 12 Mountain West Coach of the Year awards to his credit in the league’s 23-year history, it is clear why Hilbert’s program has risen to the top and has become a Stalwart on the national stage as a perennial Top-25 team.

Under Hilbert, who was inducted into the CSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006, the Rams have developed into one of the top programs in the nation, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in 24 seasons. Overall, Colorado State has appeared in 25 consecutive postseasons dating back to 1995, which ranks seventh nationally. The stretch also includes six Regional Semifinals appearances (Sweet 16) and 15 first-round victories.

Through the 2021 campaign, Hilbert owns a career record of 792-225 (.780), including a 618-153 (.802) mark during his tenure at Colorado State. Hilbert boasts a 347-54 (.865) record in conference play since coming to Fort Collins in 1997.

At the end of 2021, Hilbert ranks 9th among active Division I head coaches (14th all-time) for winning percentage (.780), and 7th for total wins (792). Of those ranked in the top 20 for wins, Hilbert has coached the second-fewest total matches, owning a career record of 792-225. With the Rams’ win vs. San Jose State on Oct. 13, 2017, Hilbert became just the 10th coach in NCAA Division I women’s volleyball history to record at least 700 victories and a career winning percentage above .780.

On Nov. 4, 2010, he became the winningest coach in any sport in Colorado State history, earning a victory over UNLV, his 353rd in Fort Collins. The win surpassed former men’s basketball coach Jim Williams’ mark of 352 victories. A year prior, Hilbert eclipsed the 500-win mark for his career. At the time, he was one of just two active coaches with more than 500 victories and fewer than 22 years of head coaching experience. Also in 2009, the veteran coach earned his 300th career win at CSU, moving ahead of his predecessor, Rich Feller, who won 299 matches from 1983-96.

The Rams won a seventh-consecutive Mountain West Championship in 2015, also earning regular-season titles in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. The seven-year streak was the longest of its kind in the NCAA through 2015. In all, Hilbert has orchestrated 18 regular-season MW titles in 25 years, also adding five conference tournament championships in nine opportunities. The 23 total titles are more than all other MW teams -- past and present -- combined. CSU is 321-50 in MW action under Hilbert, never finishing lower than third. What’s more, in 1998, CSU’s final season in the WAC, the Rams won the Mountain Division. Of those who have played four seasons for the Rams under Hilbert, each has won at least two conference titles, with all but three winning three or more.

While at CSU, Hilbert has coached 11 players who have earned AVCA All-America selections, including five in the past decade. On four occasions, a Ram has been named a Volleyball Magazine All-American, and 33 times one of Hilbert’s players has been named All-America Honorable Mention by either the AVCA or Volleyball Magazine. Under Hilbert, Colorado State has also earned 15 Mountain West Player-of-the-Year awards in the league’s 23-year history, and a total of 98 All-Conference selections.

In addition to 17 total Conference Coach-of-the-Year awards, Hilbert was named the 2013 AVCA Pacific North Region Coach of the Year, his second regional honor during a three-year period and fifth of his career. He was recognized at the NCAA Final Four in Seattle, Wash.

Hilbert has led his teams to 20 or more wins in all but one season since 1992, including a span of 28-consecutive seasons and the final five at Idaho.

Expected to be a rebuilding year after graduating four senior starters, the 2013 Rams rewrote the Colorado State and Mountain West record books, winning their first 27 matches and finishing the season with a .933 winning percentage -- a program record at the time.

The Rams carried over the momentum to 2014, a year in which CSU went 31-3 and advanced the Regional Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009.

Colorado State switched to a 6-2 offense for the 2015 season, and did not miss a beat in league play, going undefeated in conference play for the second time (2003) with a 18-0 record against Mountain West foes and reaching a peak national ranking of No. 9.

With six freshmen seeing playing time (including four regularly starting) and only having one senior, CSU went 21-9 (15-3 MW) in 2016, finishing second in the conference and reaching its 22nd consecutive NCAA Tournament.

Colorado State returned to its championship caliber in 2017, adding its 14th Mountain West Championship trophy to the case. The Rams finished 29-4 and 17-1 in the conference, while defeating a pair of ranked opponents in No. 16 Michigan and No. 15 Florida State - both within a week of each other. CSU made its 23rd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, re-matching with Michigan in the first round. During the season, the Rams were ranked as high as 19 in the AVCA Poll and finished setting a program and MW record with six conference selections.

Looking to win back-to-back Mountain West Championships, the Rams sat at 3-2 after the first two weeks of league action, losing a pair of road matches. CSU refocused and won the next 12 matches, including nine sweeps, to win its 15th regular season championship and head to the NCAA Tournament for the 24th consecutive season.

With five starting seniors in 2019, it was Hilbert's most veteran team. The Rams put together one of the most dominating seasons, finishing with a program record 29-2 overall record and a perfect 18-0 mark in the Mountain West for the third time. CSU claimed its 16th regular season conference title and ninth in the last 10 years. Hilbert again returned to the NCAA Tournament for the 25th consecutive season and earned his 12th Mountain West Coach of the Year award. CSU also reached a national ranking of No. 10 on the season and had won a program record 28-consecutive matches, which was the longest in the nation.

The 2020 season was interrupted by the COVID-19 global pandemic, pushing the fall season to spring 2021 and had arenas empty of spectators. The Rams were again selected to finish first in the Mountain West only schedule, with seven new faces on the team and just two returning starters. Colorado State finished third in the Mountain West after a 9-6 record; finishing the last five matches of the season 4-1. The Rams still gathered four Mountain West All-Conference selections, but were not selected to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in Hilbert's tenure due to the pandemic and the reduced number of teams playing in the tournament. Hilbert won his 300th Mountain West match at Nevada on Feb. 12, 2021 - more than any other coach in the league's history.

Picked to finish third in the preseason Mountain West poll, Colorado State was out to return to the top of the league in 2021. The Rams finished the regular season 14-4 in the conference, including sweeping all nine conference opponents at Moby Arena, while clinching their 17th regular season title – and the 11th in the last 13 seasons. The Mountain West reinstated the conference tournament for the first time since 2011 and CSU earned the No. 1 seed. Colorado State fell in the first round and went on to host the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) to make Hilbert’s 25th postseason appearance with the Rams and 29th overall. The Rams tied a Mountain West and program record six-conference selections, including Annie Sullivan named Newcomer of the Year.

Hilbert has turned Colorado State’s home court, Moby Arena, into one of the most effective in the nation, compiling a 345-45 (.885) all-time home record. The Rams are 47-51 at Moby against ranked opponents, most recently defeating No. 19 Colorado on Sept. 12, 2019. Hilbert has 48 total wins against ranked teams, including upsetting No. 1 UCLA in 2000.

With big wins come big crowds. The CSU faithful continuously rank in the top 15 nationally for annual attendance figures. The Rams have ranked as high as sixth in the NCAA attendance records - in 2014, drawing 3,231 fans per match, including setting (at the time) a school- and conference-record 7,018 vs. Wisconsin on Sept. 6. Since, the Rams set a new program- and conference-record 7,745 in their 2018 season opener against No. 12 Illinois.

Between Sept. 18, 1998 and Nov. 18, 2000, CSU rattled off 44-consecutive home wins, a Moby Arena record for any sport. More recently, Colorado State has strung together streaks of 21 (2007-08 and 2012-13), 20 (2000-02) and 16 (2011-12). Losing a Mountain West match in Moby is also a rare occurrence - one that has happened only a handful of times in the last 10 seasons. The Rams' carried a 45-match MW home streak into the 2018 season, which ended in the league finale against New Mexico on Nov. 17.

Colorado State has been ranked in the AVCA Top-25 poll more frequently than all but 12 Division I programs, with many of those rankings coming under Hilbert. In fact, Hilbert led CSU to its highest-ever ranking -- No. 3 for five weeks in 2000. On two occasions (2000, 2001), Colorado State has finished the year ranked in the Top-10, and between Sept. 1, 1999 and Sept. 23, 2002, CSU was ranked 51-consecutive weeks.

Away from the court, Hilbert's teams have set the tone academically. During his tenure, four players have earned Academic All-America honors - most recently Katie Oleksak and Paulina Hougaard-Jensen in 2019. Additionally, the Rams have earned 94 Academic All-Conference nods under Hilbert's guidance, including 52 over the past five seasons. His team's cumulative GPA continues to be well above 3.0.

Before coming to Colorado State, Hilbert accumulated a 174-72 (.707) record at Idaho -- which remains the best winning percentage by a coach in Idaho history. He helped the Vandals to the Big West Eastern Division title in 1996, and in the Big Sky, his teams won either the regular season or tournament championship every year from 1992-95. In each of those seasons, Hilbert's Vandals played in the NCAA Tournament - posting first-round wins in 1993 and 1994 - and Hilbert was named the Big Sky Coach of the Year.

In his first season in Moscow, the Vandals went 15-14, a drastic improvement from the program's combined 16-41 mark from the two prior seasons. Just five years later, in 1994, Idaho recorded a program-record 31 victories (31-3). Hilbert coached the Big Sky's first All-American in Mindy Rice. He also guided Idaho to its first national ranking - the first-ever ranking by a Big Sky team. In addition to Rice, Hilbert tutored nine AVCA All-Region selections, four Big Sky MVPs and 20 all-conference recipients.

Prior to Idaho, Hilbert spent five seasons as an assistant at his alma mater, Oklahoma, from 1984-88. The Sooners went 115-56 (.673) in Hilbert's five seasons in Norman, including two trips to the NCAA Tournament and an appearance in the 1988 Regional Finals.

Away from the college game, Hilbert has coached several international trips through Bring It Promotions, including winning the Global Challenge in 2009 in Croatia and coaching a USA Select Team in Argentina in 2005.

A native of Norman, Okla., Hilbert earned his bachelor's degree in business administration and marketing in 1984 from Oklahoma. In 1993, he received a master's degree in sports and recreation management from Idaho. Hilbert has resided in Fort Collins since 1997 with his daughter, Myles and married Claire Bouchard in May 2020.

AWARDS & HONORS

2019 Mountain West Coach of the Year
2018 Mountain West Coach of the Year
2017 Mountain West Coach of the Year
2013 AVCA Pacific North Region Coach of the Year
2013 Mountain West Coach of the Year
2011 AVCA West Region Coach of the Year
2011 Mountain West Coach of the Year
2009 Mountain West Coach of the Year
2007 Mountain West Coach of the Year
2003 Mountain West Coach of the Year
2002 Mountain West Coach of the Year
2001 Mountain West Coach of the Year
2000 Mountain West Coach of the Year
1999 Mountain West Coach of the Year
1998 WAC Coach of the Year (Mountain Division)
1995 AVCA Northwest Region Coach of the Year
1995 Big Sky Coach of the Year
1994 AVCA Northwest Region Coach of the Year
1994 Big Sky Coach of the Year
1993 AVCA Northwest Region Coach of the Year
1993 Big Sky Coach of the Year
1992 Big Sky Coach of the Year

Career Background

Seasons	School/Team	Title
1984-88	Oklahoma	Assistant Coach
1989-96	Idaho	Head Coach
1997-Present	Colorado State	Head Coach

Postseason Experience

Season	School/Team	Position	Appearance
1987	Oklahoma	Assistant Coach	NCAA Tournament First Round
1988	Oklahoma	Assistant Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Finals
1992	Idaho	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament First Round
1993	Idaho	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Quarterfinals
1994	Idaho	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Quarterfinals
1995	Idaho	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament First Round
1997	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Quarterfinals
1998	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Quarterfinals
1999	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals
2000	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals
2001	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals
2002	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament First Round
2003	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals
2004	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament First Round
2005	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Quarterfinals
2006	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament First Round
2007	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Quarterfinals
2008	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Quarterfinals
2009	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals
2010	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Quarterfinals
2011	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Quarterfinals
2012	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament First Round
2013	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament First Round
2014	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinals
2015	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament First Round
2016	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament First Round
2017	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament Second Round
2018	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament First Round
2019	Colorado State	Head Coach	NCAA Tournament First Round
2020*	Colorado State	Head Coach	NA*
2021	Colorado State	Head Coach	NIVC Second Round

*Fall 2020 season was moved to spring 2021 and impacted by the COVID-19 Global Pandemic - NCAA Tournament field was limited and Mountain West Conference only schedule was played.