Get to know new UNM volleyball coach Brian Hosfeld

Brian Hosfeld knows as much as anyone about college and club volleyball in the Western United States.

From Long Beach, California to Waco, Texas to Wichita, Kansas with numerous stops in between, Hosfeld's coaching journey could well be summed up by the phrase, "Been there done that."

Still, the veteran coach and father of four has been craving a new challenge — and he's found one as the University of New Mexico's newly hired women's volleyball coach.

"I've been champing at the bit to get backing into head coaching," Hosfeld said in a phone interview. "When New Mexico came open, I started looking into it and really liked the energy of (UNM athletic director) Fernando Lovo and his team. I think it's a great opportunity and I'm excited to bring the program to a high level."

Hosfield has an extensive history with high-level volleyball in the collegiate, club and international ranks. As an assistant coach, he's been part of a national championship as an at Long Beach State, three straight Final Four appearances at Texas and a 2024 NCAA Tournament berth at Wichita State — Hosfeld's most recent stop.

As a head coach, Hosfeld led Baylor to a program-record 129 wins and the Bears' first two NCAA appearances. Oddly enough, however, Hosfeld's daughter Ella currently has more experience with UNM volleyball than he does. A junior setter at Northern Arizona, Ella played a five-setter against the Lobos last season.

"Yeah, she was on the losing end of that one," Hosfeld said with a chuckle. "I was rooting for NAU that night but it's all New Mexico from here on."

Hosfeld takes over from Jon Newman-Gonchar, who went 97-94 over seven seasons with UNM but was not retained after a 13-16 finish in 2025. Hosfeld was announced as UNM's head coach Sunday and said he introduced himself to returning players during a Zoom meeting. He has not yet met them in person.

"Absolutely, getting to know the players and starting to build relationships is a huge priority," Hosfeld said. "I'm encouraged by who's there because retainment is a big deal and the majority of last year's players trusted the administration and stayed. They want to be there. All I've done so far is kind of give them my vision for the program, but I can't wait to start the process of getting to know them."

Hosfeld knows he'll have some roster holes to fill, but he feels well-equipped to bring additional talent to Albuquerque. Years of collegiate and club coaching have helped Hosfeld develop a wide circle of recruiting contacts — including the mothers of some current standout players.

"That actually happens quite a bit," he said.

Hosfeld's own children range from college-aged to 6 years old and he said a desire to spend more time with them prompted him to take time away from collegiate coaching. After lengthy stints at Baylor and Texas and a one-year interim stop at Utah in 2011, Hosfeld devoted himself to full-time club coaching until his two oldest kids reached college age. He then signed on as associate head coach under longtime friend Chris Lamb in 2022.

"For me, going to Wichita State was kind of a no-brainer," Hosfeld said. "Working with Chris was a perfect opportunity to get back into college coaching and it really prepared me for this challenge at New Mexico. I'm ready."

As for his coaching style, Hosfeld describes himself as a "ball-control person." He prioritizes serving, passing and well-coordinated movement by his players.

"Think of it like a ballet," he said. "You've got six players on a small court flying around and you want to get to a point where they make things look easy. It takes a tremendous amount of work and discipline, but it's very effective and fun for fans to watch."

Hosfeld admits he's got much still to learn about New Mexico, but he's well-versed when it comes to Mountain West volleyball — a league set to change dramatically when five current schools depart for the former Pac-12 next season. Hosfeld does not anticipate much change in the level of competition.

"I know a lot of the Mountain West teams and coaches," he said. "Losing Colorado State is obviously significant, but they're bringing in some big hitters with Hawaii and UTEP, and UC Davis just had a tremendous season. The new Mountain West will be a very good volleyball league, and we have an opportunity to make New Mexico a consistent contender. I'm really excited about it."