Derek Olson, a seasoned coach with national and international volleyball credentials and a proven track record of building programs into championship contenders, was named the first head coach in San Diego women's beach volleyball history by USD Associate Vice President and Executive Director of Athletics Kimya Massey on September 12, 2025. He will lead the program into its inaugural season in the spring of 2027.
Olson joined the Toreros after four seasons at Washington, where he transformed the Huskies into a nationally ranked program and guided them to their first-ever NCAA Championship appearance in 2024. Under his leadership, UW earned three consecutive year-end Top-20 national rankings, set program records for wins, and produced the first All-Americans in school history.
"The launch of our beach volleyball program is a milestone moment for USD Athletics, and hiring Derek Olson as our first head coach sets the tone for where we want to go," said Massey. "USD is the first Division I institution in San Diego to sponsor beach volleyball, and that's significant — not only because the sport is growing so rapidly, but because our city has some of the best talent and club volleyball in the country. With the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles on the horizon, adding beach volleyball now elevates the excitement — not just because it's one of the most popular Olympic sports, but because our proximity allows us to tap into the exposure, recruiting visibility, and fan interest the Games will generate. In addition, Derek knows San Diego, he has deep ties to the volleyball community here, and he will absolutely leverage that to recruit and develop the very best. He has the vision to establish USD as a national presence. We could not be more excited to welcome Derek, his wife Steph, and their daughters Ellery and Peri to the Torero family."
"I'm incredibly honored to be named the first head coach of USD women's beach volleyball," said Olson. "The opportunity to build a program from the ground up in a place like San Diego — with its volleyball tradition, community support, and world-class student-athlete experience is special. There is great momentum at USD right now, and I'm excited to get to work creating a culture that reflects the standard of excellence this university stands for. We want to recruit and develop student-athletes who can compete for championships in the West Coast Conference and on the national stage, and there's no better place to do that than here at USD."
Olson led Washington to three of the winningest seasons in program history, including a breakthrough 21-win campaign in 2023 and the Huskies' first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024. His tenure was marked by wins over multiple top-15 opponents, consistent top-20 national rankings, and the development of All-Americans, All-Pac-12 performers, and AVCA National Pair of the Week honorees.
Prior to Washington, Olson spent four years at California, including two seasons as interim head coach. He guided the Bears to back-to-back Top-10 finishes in 2020 and 2021, producing five wins over Top-10 teams during that span. His coaching résumé also includes extensive work with USA Volleyball, where he has served in multiple roles with U.S. Youth and Junior National Teams, as well as a stint as National Team Head Coach for Morocco, leading a men's pair to qualification for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
At the club level, Olson founded and directed Kleos Volleyball Club in Berkeley and previously served as beach director and indoor head coach for Coast Volleyball Club in San Diego.
As a professional beach volleyball player, Olson competed in more than 40 AVP Tour events, 14 FIVB Tour events, and represented the United States in nine NORCECA competitions. He earned multiple top-10 finishes domestically and internationally and qualified for the prestigious Rio Grand Slam in 2016.
Olson earned his bachelor's degree in human physiology from Oregon in 2007 and a master's degree in coaching and exercise science from Concordia University Irvine in 2021. He and his wife, Steph, a former UC San Diego volleyball letterwinner, have two daughters, Ellery and Peri.
