Stanford adds former Penn State, Pepperdine players to coaching staff

The new coach staff for Stanford is set.

Coach John Kosty announced Wednesday that both Taylor Hammond and Spencer Wickens will serve as assistant coaches for the upcoming season.

Hammond joins the Cardinal after being an assistant coach with the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team and helping the team win a silver medal at the NORCECA Pan American Cup in June. The former Penn State setter also spent four years coaching club and high school volleyball in Orange County and was an assistant coach with the Auburn women’s volleyball team in 2021.

Along with assistant coaching responsibilities, Hammond will be the team’s recruiting coordinator.

Wickens was an outside attacker and libero with Pepperdine and earned Second-Team All-American honors in 2021. In addition, Wickens helped the Waves reach the NCAA Tournament three times during five seasons with the team.

“I look forward to watching both of our new coaches build upon the successes of our volleyball program,” Kosty said in a statement.

Both Hammond and Wickens will replace Daniel Rasay and Ken Shibuya on the Stanford coaching staff. The two longtime assistant coaches who helped guide the Cardinal to a NCAA championship in 2010 departed the university earlier this summer.

Stanford finished last season in third place in the MPSF and was ranked in the top 10 of both the national coaches poll and national media poll.