Jen Greeny leaves for West Virginia, which is surprising but not really.
At Washington State, one of the most successful coaching careers has ended. The Mountaineers announced today
Jen Greeny, who guided Washington State to its ninth consecutive NCAA Tournament this year, is leaving WSU
to assume the helm at the Big 12 institution in West Virginia.
“I am immensely appreciative of the chance to oversee the volleyball program at West Virginia University… “I am excited to start this new journey in Morgantown,” Greeny stated in the press release from West Virginia.
Greeny has the deepest roots at WSU; he was a standout player in the 1990s, Cindy Frederick’s assistant coach, and
the head coach of an extraordinary team. She received votes for Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2021. During
Greeny’s tenure at WSU, the Cougars placed in the top 25 six times, including this season at No. 11, when they
advanced to the Sweet 16. The Cougs defeated six other teams, including eventual national champion Texas, to wrap out the regular season with a record of 24-7/14-6.
On the surface, her decision to leave for West Virginia might appear unexpected given her lengthy employment at WSU. However, two elements provide context:
Since the Pac-12 collapse, there has been uncertainty regarding league affiliation, budgets, and schedules.
It’s no secret in Pullman that she and athletic director Pat Chun aren’t on each other’s Christmas card list for reasons
that aren’t publicly disclosed.
Chun responded to a tweet from WSU Athletics. “I want to thank Jen Greeny for 13 years of outstanding leadership.
leading Cougar volleyball to eight consecutive NCAA championships and two Sweet 16 appearances,” he stated. We
I hope you have the best possible outcome in West Virginia. “A Coug Is a Coug Always!”
Aside from football, Washington State has not yet issued the schedules for its other sports. Subject to league
clearance on Thursday, WSU and OSU are scheduled to play against the West Coast Conference in sports other than
football and baseball for the next two years, according to a story from CBSSports.com that was published hours ago.
Additionally, WSU President Kirk Schulz stated back in August that the university was considering a $20 million
operating budget gap for Cougar Athletics. It’s unclear how much that uncertainty affected Greeny’s choice to depart.
but one assumes it had to have played a role in the calculations.
In 2011, Greeny joined WSU, and the Cougs had just finished with a 0–18 Pac-12 record. She went on to get an overall score of 235–175 (.573) while she was at Pullman. She was incredibly successful in identifying talent from around the world, such as four-time All-American Magda Jehlárová.
Greeny was an assistant coach at WSU from 2000 to 2004 before taking over as head coach at Lewis and Clark, where she spent five seasons with a record of 112-24 (.824). Among Greeny’s achievements while attending Washington State are the following:
