An assistant coach who helped lead multiple programs to top-10 rankings in the national coaches poll will now lead Concordia.
Concordia announced recently that it hired Jon Girten to be the new head coach of its men’s volleyball program.
“This opportunity to lead the men’s volleyball program at Concordia is an incredible blessing,” Girten said in a statement. “Obviously, you absolutely cannot beat the location. The campus is beautiful, and there are so many exciting things happening that will impact the university and athletic department’s future. I am all about creating a positive holistic experience for our student-athletes, and Concordia has all of the tools to do that because of its academic excellence, faith-based values, and the school’s dedication to building a first-class athletic environment.”
Griten spent last season at Grand Canyon and was elevated to the co-interim head coach in the middle of the season following the departure of head coach Matt Werle. The Antelopes reached the MPSF Tournament quarterfinals, but the university following the season opted to disband its men’s volleyball program.
Along with his time at Grand Canyon, Girten served as the UC San Diego associate head coach from 2020 to 2024. The Tritons with Girten on the coaching staff advanced to the 2021 Big West Tournament finals and were ranked in the top of the national coaches poll for multiple seasons.
Concordia finished last season in eighth place in the MPSF and lost to Grand Canyon in the MPSF Tournament second round.
The Golden Eagles also ended at No. 10 in the Off the Block Division II National Coaches Poll.