Colorado University Athletics
Volleyball
Jesse Mahoney
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- jesse.mahoney@colorado.edu
Jesse Mahoney enters his 11th season at the helm of Colorado volleyball in 2026 after being named head coach on Dec. 17, 2015. During his first 10 seasons in Boulder, Mahoney has guided the Buffaloes to a 164-135 record, three NCAA Tournament appearances and the program's return to national prominence.
The Buffs are coming off one of their most successful seasons under Mahoney's leadership. Colorado finished the 2025 campaign with a 23-9 overall record and a 12-6 mark in Big 12 play, earning the program's 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance. The Buffs swept American in the opening round before advancing to the NCAA Second Round for the 12th time in program history, where they fell to fourth-seeded Indiana. Colorado's 23 victories were its most since 2017, tied for the third-most wins in school history and marked the program's 13th 20-win season.
Under Mahoney, Colorado has produced multiple NCAA Tournament teams, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2017, the program's first since 1997. The Buffs finished 24-10 that season, recording their most wins since 1993. Colorado returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2018 and again in 2022, when the Buffs posted a 20-11 record and finished fifth in the Pac-12 standings. Mahoney also helped bring the nation's 10th-ranked recruiting class to Boulder in 2019, according to PrepVolleyball.com.
In addition to the team's success, several Buffs have earned significant individual recognition during Mahoney's tenure. Junior outside hitter Alexa Smith became CU's first AVCA Second Team All-American and was also named to the AVCA All-Pacific South Region and All-Pac-12 teams.
Freshman setter Brynna DeLuzio had one of the best debut seasons in program history, earning AVCA All-America honorable mention honors in addition to VolleyballMag.com All-Freshman Team and PrepVolleyball.com All-Freshman Second Team recognition. DeLuzio was the first Buff to earn AVCA Pacific South Region Freshman of the Year honors and was also selected to the AVCA all-region honorable mention team. She was a Pac-12 All-Freshman Team selection and earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors.
Three other Buffs earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention status in 2017: junior middle blocker Naghede Abu, senior right side hitter Joslyn Hayes and junior outside hitter Frankie Shebby. Following the 2023 season, outside hitter Lily Dwinell was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. In 2024, sophomore outside hitter Ana Burilovic earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors, while Avery Bolles and Sydney Jordan were named CSC Academic All-District selections.
Prior to coming to CU, Mahoney spent the previous four seasons at the University of Denver, where he guided the Pioneers to an 88-41 mark, including back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances (2014, 2015). The Pioneers finished with a 27-8 mark this past fall after falling to No. 5 Washington in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In 2014, DU was 27-7, its season ending in the first round of the tournament, on that occasion to No. 13 Colorado State, also in the first round. The Pioneers accumulated a 46-18 conference mark with Mahoney at the helm, winning the Summit League regular season championship the last two seasons with identical 13-3 league records; Denver also claimed the postseason tournament title both years. The 2014 crown was the school’s first in the sport after joining the league in 2013, in which Mahoney coached the Pioneers to a 10-4 league mark and runner-up finishes in both the regular season and the postseason tourney. That team was 17-13 overall, as was his first team at DU in 2012, when the Pioneers were members of the Western Athletic Conference (with a 10-8 mark in conference play).
While at Denver, Mahoney coached 17 all-conference selections, including a pair of 2014 AVCA Division I Honorable Mention All-Americans. His 2014 recruiting class was tabbed No. 28 by PrepVolleyball.com. Nationally, the Pioneers’ offense was ranked in the top 25 in hitting efficiency three times (2013-15) and this fall the defense cracked the top 25 in opponent hitting efficiency.
Prior to his success at DU, Mahoney served as an assistant coach at Colorado State (2005-11), including four as the associate head coach. In his time under head coach Tom Hilbert, the Rams participated in seven consecutive NCAA Tournaments and won five Mountain West titles. CSU complied a 162-51 record during his time on the staff. While with the Rams, he helped to assemble three recruiting classes ranked in the top 25 by PrepVolleyball.com. His primary responsibility in practice was working with the middle blockers and CSU was ranked nationally in the top 10 in blocking five of his seven seasons. He tutored two All-American middle blockers as well as multiple All-Conference and All-Region performers.
Mahoney joined the staff at CSU after six seasons as the head coach at Fort Hays State, where the Tigers recorded a 107-82 overall record under his direction. FHSU tallied an impressive 56-12 record over his last two years there (2003-04), which included a 31-5 mark and No. 11 final national ranking in 2004.
His first varsity coaching position was as an assistant coach at Colorado Christian, which followed his first foray into the profession – the head coach of the CU men’s club volleyball team from 1995-98. Mahoney has also coached in the club circuit as a member of the Front Range Volleyball Club, guiding the 18-Black to the 1998 USA Junior Rocky Mountain Region title.
Mahoney, a Boulder native, is no stranger to the University of Colorado, having earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 1995 and a Juris Doctorate degree from CU’s Law School in 1999. He is married to the former Gwen McEntyre and the couple has three children: Macy, Griffin and Declan.
The Buffs are coming off one of their most successful seasons under Mahoney's leadership. Colorado finished the 2025 campaign with a 23-9 overall record and a 12-6 mark in Big 12 play, earning the program's 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance. The Buffs swept American in the opening round before advancing to the NCAA Second Round for the 12th time in program history, where they fell to fourth-seeded Indiana. Colorado's 23 victories were its most since 2017, tied for the third-most wins in school history and marked the program's 13th 20-win season.
Under Mahoney, Colorado has produced multiple NCAA Tournament teams, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2017, the program's first since 1997. The Buffs finished 24-10 that season, recording their most wins since 1993. Colorado returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2018 and again in 2022, when the Buffs posted a 20-11 record and finished fifth in the Pac-12 standings. Mahoney also helped bring the nation's 10th-ranked recruiting class to Boulder in 2019, according to PrepVolleyball.com.
In addition to the team's success, several Buffs have earned significant individual recognition during Mahoney's tenure. Junior outside hitter Alexa Smith became CU's first AVCA Second Team All-American and was also named to the AVCA All-Pacific South Region and All-Pac-12 teams.
Freshman setter Brynna DeLuzio had one of the best debut seasons in program history, earning AVCA All-America honorable mention honors in addition to VolleyballMag.com All-Freshman Team and PrepVolleyball.com All-Freshman Second Team recognition. DeLuzio was the first Buff to earn AVCA Pacific South Region Freshman of the Year honors and was also selected to the AVCA all-region honorable mention team. She was a Pac-12 All-Freshman Team selection and earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors.
Three other Buffs earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention status in 2017: junior middle blocker Naghede Abu, senior right side hitter Joslyn Hayes and junior outside hitter Frankie Shebby. Following the 2023 season, outside hitter Lily Dwinell was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. In 2024, sophomore outside hitter Ana Burilovic earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors, while Avery Bolles and Sydney Jordan were named CSC Academic All-District selections.
Prior to coming to CU, Mahoney spent the previous four seasons at the University of Denver, where he guided the Pioneers to an 88-41 mark, including back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances (2014, 2015). The Pioneers finished with a 27-8 mark this past fall after falling to No. 5 Washington in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In 2014, DU was 27-7, its season ending in the first round of the tournament, on that occasion to No. 13 Colorado State, also in the first round. The Pioneers accumulated a 46-18 conference mark with Mahoney at the helm, winning the Summit League regular season championship the last two seasons with identical 13-3 league records; Denver also claimed the postseason tournament title both years. The 2014 crown was the school’s first in the sport after joining the league in 2013, in which Mahoney coached the Pioneers to a 10-4 league mark and runner-up finishes in both the regular season and the postseason tourney. That team was 17-13 overall, as was his first team at DU in 2012, when the Pioneers were members of the Western Athletic Conference (with a 10-8 mark in conference play).
While at Denver, Mahoney coached 17 all-conference selections, including a pair of 2014 AVCA Division I Honorable Mention All-Americans. His 2014 recruiting class was tabbed No. 28 by PrepVolleyball.com. Nationally, the Pioneers’ offense was ranked in the top 25 in hitting efficiency three times (2013-15) and this fall the defense cracked the top 25 in opponent hitting efficiency.
Prior to his success at DU, Mahoney served as an assistant coach at Colorado State (2005-11), including four as the associate head coach. In his time under head coach Tom Hilbert, the Rams participated in seven consecutive NCAA Tournaments and won five Mountain West titles. CSU complied a 162-51 record during his time on the staff. While with the Rams, he helped to assemble three recruiting classes ranked in the top 25 by PrepVolleyball.com. His primary responsibility in practice was working with the middle blockers and CSU was ranked nationally in the top 10 in blocking five of his seven seasons. He tutored two All-American middle blockers as well as multiple All-Conference and All-Region performers.
Mahoney joined the staff at CSU after six seasons as the head coach at Fort Hays State, where the Tigers recorded a 107-82 overall record under his direction. FHSU tallied an impressive 56-12 record over his last two years there (2003-04), which included a 31-5 mark and No. 11 final national ranking in 2004.
His first varsity coaching position was as an assistant coach at Colorado Christian, which followed his first foray into the profession – the head coach of the CU men’s club volleyball team from 1995-98. Mahoney has also coached in the club circuit as a member of the Front Range Volleyball Club, guiding the 18-Black to the 1998 USA Junior Rocky Mountain Region title.
Mahoney, a Boulder native, is no stranger to the University of Colorado, having earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 1995 and a Juris Doctorate degree from CU’s Law School in 1999. He is married to the former Gwen McEntyre and the couple has three children: Macy, Griffin and Declan.
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