Colorado Volleyball Adds Cassie Baird to Coaching Staff
July 25, 2025 | Volleyball
Baird will join the Buffs and begin coaching ahead of the 2025 season
BOULDER – The Colorado volleyball team adds Cassidy "Cassie" Baird as an assistant coach and technical coordinator, 10th-year head coach Jesse Mahoney announced on Friday, July 24.
Baird arrives in Boulder following three seasons as an assistant coach at Eastern Kentucky. In 2024, she helped guide the Colonels to 21 wins and a trip to the ASUN Conference Tournament semifinals. Under her leadership, middle blocker Carson Ledford, outside hitter Sarah Mitchell and opposite hitter AG Vandagriff earned All-Conference honors.
"We are very excited to welcome Cassie to the Colorado volleyball family," Mahoney said. "Cassie comes to us with a wealth of experience – in addition to competing at a high level as an athlete, she has had tremendous success in her previous coaching stints, having gained experience as a technical coordinator and recruiting coordinator during her career."
Prior to her time at EKU, Baird served as director of volleyball operations at North Dakota from 2022–23. She is no stranger to the world of Mahoney volleyball — Mahoney coached Baird during her freshman and sophomore seasons at the University of Denver, where she was a standout outside hitter from 2014 to 2017.
"I'm grateful to Coach Mahoney for giving me the opportunity to join the CU volleyball program, and I am incredibly excited to start this new chapter of my coaching career," Baird said. "I can't wait to get in the gym, build my relationships with the student athletes and continue to show how great of a university and volleyball program CU is."
A decorated student-athlete, Baird helped lead Denver to four consecutive Summit League regular season and tournament titles, along with four NCAA Tournament appearances. She earned All-Summit League Honorable Mention honors in both 2015 and 2017 and was a 2017 Summit League All-Academic Team selection. She played in 394 sets for the Pioneers and led the team in service aces in two seasons, ranking top-100 nationally both years.
After college, Baird enjoyed a successful four-year professional career overseas, competing in top leagues in Switzerland, Portugal, Austria and Finland. She captained each of her pro teams and was honored multiple times as match MVP, including a standout season in Finland where she was named January Player of the Month and earned seven match MVPs.
Her coaching career has included time at both the club and collegiate levels. In addition to her collegiate coaching, Baird has worked with youth teams through Colorado Volleyball Association (CVA) and has been on staff at camps at Stanford, Denver, and with All-American Volleyball Camps.
A native of Indiana, Baird was a three-time First Team All-State selection and the 2014 Marion County Female Athlete of the Year in high school. She comes from a family of accomplished athletes—her sister is an All-American and national champion at Stanford, while her brother and parents each competed at the collegiate level in baseball and basketball.
Baird earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business from the University of Denver in 2018.
She joins a veteran Colorado coaching staff that includes associate head coach Lee Maes and assistant coach Evan Sanders Lobato — both entering their 10th season alongside Mahoney in Boulder.
"Our goal was to hire a coach who could both facilitate our technical needs as well as mentor and train our pin attackers at a high level, while also serving as an outstanding role-model for our student-athletes," Mahoney said. "I look forward to our players connecting with Cassie's passion, enthusiasm and competitive spirit."
For more information on the Colorado volleyball team, please visit cubuffs.com/vb. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffsvb on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
Baird arrives in Boulder following three seasons as an assistant coach at Eastern Kentucky. In 2024, she helped guide the Colonels to 21 wins and a trip to the ASUN Conference Tournament semifinals. Under her leadership, middle blocker Carson Ledford, outside hitter Sarah Mitchell and opposite hitter AG Vandagriff earned All-Conference honors.
"We are very excited to welcome Cassie to the Colorado volleyball family," Mahoney said. "Cassie comes to us with a wealth of experience – in addition to competing at a high level as an athlete, she has had tremendous success in her previous coaching stints, having gained experience as a technical coordinator and recruiting coordinator during her career."
Prior to her time at EKU, Baird served as director of volleyball operations at North Dakota from 2022–23. She is no stranger to the world of Mahoney volleyball — Mahoney coached Baird during her freshman and sophomore seasons at the University of Denver, where she was a standout outside hitter from 2014 to 2017.
"I'm grateful to Coach Mahoney for giving me the opportunity to join the CU volleyball program, and I am incredibly excited to start this new chapter of my coaching career," Baird said. "I can't wait to get in the gym, build my relationships with the student athletes and continue to show how great of a university and volleyball program CU is."
A decorated student-athlete, Baird helped lead Denver to four consecutive Summit League regular season and tournament titles, along with four NCAA Tournament appearances. She earned All-Summit League Honorable Mention honors in both 2015 and 2017 and was a 2017 Summit League All-Academic Team selection. She played in 394 sets for the Pioneers and led the team in service aces in two seasons, ranking top-100 nationally both years.
After college, Baird enjoyed a successful four-year professional career overseas, competing in top leagues in Switzerland, Portugal, Austria and Finland. She captained each of her pro teams and was honored multiple times as match MVP, including a standout season in Finland where she was named January Player of the Month and earned seven match MVPs.
Her coaching career has included time at both the club and collegiate levels. In addition to her collegiate coaching, Baird has worked with youth teams through Colorado Volleyball Association (CVA) and has been on staff at camps at Stanford, Denver, and with All-American Volleyball Camps.
A native of Indiana, Baird was a three-time First Team All-State selection and the 2014 Marion County Female Athlete of the Year in high school. She comes from a family of accomplished athletes—her sister is an All-American and national champion at Stanford, while her brother and parents each competed at the collegiate level in baseball and basketball.
Baird earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business from the University of Denver in 2018.
She joins a veteran Colorado coaching staff that includes associate head coach Lee Maes and assistant coach Evan Sanders Lobato — both entering their 10th season alongside Mahoney in Boulder.
"Our goal was to hire a coach who could both facilitate our technical needs as well as mentor and train our pin attackers at a high level, while also serving as an outstanding role-model for our student-athletes," Mahoney said. "I look forward to our players connecting with Cassie's passion, enthusiasm and competitive spirit."
For more information on the Colorado volleyball team, please visit cubuffs.com/vb. Fans of the Buffs can follow @cubuffsvb on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
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