University of Colorado Athletics
Lee Maes Named Assistant Volleyball Coach
January 20, 2016 | Volleyball
BOULDER — University of Colorado head volleyball coach Jesse Mahoney announced that Lee Maes will join the Buffaloes staff as an assistant coach.
“Lee Maes is a fantastic addition to our staff here at Colorado,” Mahoney said. “Lee's extensive experience at the elite NCAA and international levels have given him a comprehensive skill-set: he is an adept trainer in the gym, he is technically and tactically innovative and he will be a great mentor for our student-athletes. I am excited for the impact Lee will have on our program as we begin our efforts in achieving the lofty goals our players and staff have set for Colorado Volleyball.”
"I'm thrilled and grateful for this wonderful opportunity to partner with Jesse Mahoney at Colorado,” Maes said. “He and I have known each other for many years. Jesse has been a person who I greatly respect and appreciate as a coach and friend. There is tremendous enthusiasm and optimism for volleyball at CU. It's evident in the support and leadership provided by [CU Athletic Director] Rick George and [CU Senior Associate AD] Ceal Barry. I look forward to collaborating with so many talented and devoted people who are invested in helping CU achieve championship-level success.”
Maes comes to Colorado with over 25 years of experience, 19 at the NCAA Division I level, and has coached some of the top programs in the country.
An assistant at Louisville for three seasons (2012-14), Maes helped guide the Cardinals to a 68-27 record. In 2013, UL was the American Athletic Conference Champion and qualified for the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2012 after winning the Big East Championship. During his tenure at UL, Maes coached three AVCA All-Americans as well as one conference player of the year and a freshman of the year.
Maes left UL in 2015 to pursue a master's degree in liberal studies at Wesleyan University where he also served as an assistant for the women's volleyball team.
Prior to his time at Louisville, Maes was the head coach at Virginia (2008-11). During that time, he and his staff landed the Cavaliers' first-ever nationally ranked class, as the recruiting class of 2009 was tabbed the 15th best incoming freshman class in the nation. The following year's class was named the ninth best in the nation.
At UVa, Maes saw Simone Asque earn back-to-back ACC Player of the Week honors and garner All-ACC recognition. The Cavaliers notched the program's first ever win over a top 25 team with a victory over No. 25 Florida State in 2010. The Cavs achieved numerous All-Academic selections during Maes' tenure, the highest team grade point average and attained a perfect Academic Progress Rate. He recruited and coached the ACC and East Region Freshman of the Year. He also served on the AVCA Division I All-American Committee and was Chair of the AVCA East Region Selection Committee.
Prior to leading the Cavaliers' program, he served as an assistant at Nebraska for three years. During that time, the Cornhuskers compiled a 95-5 record, won the NCAA Championship in 2006, reached the NCAA Championship match in 2005 and the NCAA Regional finals in 2007. UNL was the Big 12 Conference Champion each of those three years and produced 13 AVCA All-Americans, two national players of the year and a Honda-Broderick Award winner. In addition to two top-15 ranked recruiting classes at Virginia, Maes was integral in helping recruit back-to-back classes that were rated among the top-five in the nation in his final two seasons at UNL.
The program also excelled academically. A total of six players were named Academic All-Americans and one received the NCAA's prestigious Top-Eight Award.
Before his stint at UNL, Maes was a member of the University of California women's volleyball staff from 1998-2005. He served as the associate head coach from 2003-05 and was an assistant coach from 1998-2003. The Golden Bears reached the NCAA Tournament each of his last three seasons, a first for California since the late 1980s. He was a part of the 2003 Sweet Sixteen team that finished eighth in the nation after making the second round in 2002. The 2004 squad finished the season ranked No. 17 in the nation after making it to the NCAA Second Round. He was involved in all aspects of the program, including on-court training and opponent scouting, and recruited a total of 11 All-Pac-10 Conference performers.
Maes also brings an extensive background at the national team level. He led the USA Girls' Junior National A2 Team to a gold medal at both the 2007 European Global Challenge and the 2006 High Performance Championships. In 2004-05, Maes served as an assistant coach for the Women's National Team that earned gold at the 2004 U.S. Open Championships and continued in that capacity coaching in the prestigious 2005 Montreux Volleymasters. He helped lead the Youth National team to a gold medal at the 1998 NORCECA Championships and continued coaching the squad at the 1999 World Championships in Madeira Island, Portugal.
In addition to his work at the national and collegiate levels, Maes directed the Golden Bear girls club volleyball team (Oakland, Calif.) from 1997-2004. As coach of the Forefront 18-1's team, he developed and sent more than 50 prospects on to the collegiate level. In 2003, his Golden Bear team won the 18-Open bronze medal at the Junior Olympic Championships. Maes also had a coaching stint with the Nike Ichiban club (Long Beach, Calif.) from 1993-97, where he helped train and develop Olympians, Misty May-Treanor and Heather Bown. During that time period, the Nike Ichiban 18's team won an unprecedented five consecutive Open medals at the Junior Olympic Championships, highlighted by winning the 18-Open National Title in 1996. Maes had also worked with the Laguna Beach and Sunshine Volleyball Clubs.
Maes graduated from Long Beach State in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in journalism and geography. He is a member of USA Volleyball and the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
