Nicole Hess
Nicole Hess serves as Senior Woman Administrator and Head Volleyball Coach at College of Saint Benedict, where she has led the Bennies volleyball program since 2010. Entering her 16th season at CSB in 2025, Hess has built one of the most respected programs in NCAA Division III, guiding the team to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 and an Elite Eight run. Under her leadership, CSB has captured MIAC Tournament championships and consistently excelled both athletically and academically, with numerous All-Americans, All-Region honorees, and Academic All-MIAC student-athletes. With more than 300 career wins as a head coach, she is widely recognized for developing competitive, disciplined, and high-achieving teams.
A 2002 graduate of St. Olaf College, Hess was a standout student-athlete and four-time All-MIAC honoree who still holds conference and school records, including the MIAC career kills record. She was inducted into the St. Olaf Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015. Hess began her collegiate head coaching career at age 24 at St. Catherine University, where she revitalized a rebuilding program before transitioning to Saint Benedict to expand her impact in both coaching and athletic administration. As Senior Woman Administrator, she plays a key role in advancing equity, leadership development, and student-athlete success across the department.
Throughout her 23-year career in collegiate athletics, Hess has remained grounded in her belief that sport is a vehicle for growth, character development, and belonging. She is deeply committed to building culture through consistency, accountability, and authentic relationships—recruiting young women at 17 or 18 years old and helping them graduate as confident, capable leaders. A highly competitive coach who values process over outcome, Hess takes the greatest pride not only in championships, but in the lifelong connections she maintains with her players and alumni. A wife and mother of three, she continues to model balance and lifelong learning while pursuing her master’s degree in Organizational Leadership.
• Bachelor's degree from St. Olaf College in Secondary Education
• Currently pursuing Master's in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University (approximately one year remaining)
• 10 NCAA Tournament Appearances
• Elite Eight Run in 2019
• Back-to-Back Conference Tournament Championships (recent years)
What do you attribute your success to?
I wouldn't be here if I didn't have somebody who saw potential in me and asked me to coach with them right out of college. A coach at another institution saw me working at a conference tournament in our communication and marketing team, and he said, 'Hey, I heard you wanted to get into coaching, you should come coach with me.' I thought he was joking, but I emailed him to ask if he was serious, and he said yes. That one conversation changed everything for me. It just takes one person to make a difference, right? And that's why I'm in grad school now too. Somebody took the time to ask me, 'What are you gonna do when you're done coaching?' and I was like, 'I don't know, I haven't thought about that.' Those kinds of questions from mentors who recognize potential in you are so powerful. I think the biggest piece is being open to the conversation and recognizing potential and strengths in others. If you are somebody who wants to get into coaching, reach out to coaches and ask about it. And for those of us already in the field, we need to do a better job of advocating for this profession and asking people, 'Hey, would you ever consider coaching? You'd be really great at it.' I probably don't do as great of a job of that as I could, and it's something I think about a lot. It's about taking the time to see skills in somebody and being brave enough to start that conversation, because sometimes it can be intimidating. But that recognition and encouragement from others, and then paying it forward, that's what makes the difference.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
If you're interested in coaching, say something. Be brave enough to ask the question. Reach out to coaches and ask how they got started, or what opportunities are out there. I wouldn't be here if somebody hadn't seen me at a conference tournament and said, 'Hey, you should come coach with me.' I thought he was joking, but I emailed him and asked if he was serious, and he said yes, and that changed my life. It just takes one person to make a difference, and sometimes it can be intimidating, but I think it's about asking the question and being open to the conversation. And for those of us already in the field, my advice to myself and other coaches is to do a better job of advocating for this profession. We need to ask the question when we see potential in someone: 'Hey, would you ever consider coaching? You'd be really great at it.' It's important to see more women get into our field and to raise up other women and men. Whatever your field or industry, if you take the time and recognize skills in somebody, just say, 'Hey, have you thought of this?' and put it out there. If you recognize potential and strengths in others, or if you want to get into coaching yourself, don't be afraid to start that conversation. Reach out, ask about it, and be open to recognizing that potential in yourself too.