John Wasielewski

John Wasielewski enters his sixth season as associate head coach at Virginia Tech, working primarily with the setters.

The 2023 season began with the Hokies starting off 10-0, a program record. Tech's 13-15 record was the best in the Byers' era. This season also saw the first victory for the Hokies against Notre Dame since 2015. Hanna Borer recorded her 1,000th career assist in a match vs. Delaware State. Borer finished the season with 872 assists, averaging 8.72 per set, good for sixth in the ACC. 

The 2022 season saw the Hokies defeat Clemson 3-2 on the road, the first win over the Tigers, the first win at Clemson since 2019. Setter Hanna Borer was also named ACC Freshman of the Week on September 26 and November 15, the first Freshman of the Week honor since 2017. She had 13 double-doubles in 2022, the most by any freshman in the ACC.

The 2021 season saw three Hokie setters with over 200 assists, including Brie Postema with 538 total and 6.18 per set. Wasielewski has guided Postema since her freshman year in which she tallied over 300 assists, leading the team. The 2021 season for the Hokies saw a win over then No. 14 Duke and a sweep of Virginia in ACC play.

In his second year in 2018, Wasielewski played a pivotal role in setter Rhegan Mitchell’s success. The Georgia native became No. 5 all-time in program history for career assists, passing Jordan Fish (2010-13) with 3,548. Mitchell tallied two double-doubles in ACC play and had eight matches of 40-plus assists, including a season-high 58 versus Boston College.
 
His first season in 2017 saw Mitchell improve dramatically her redshirt junior year, guiding her to being named the Pepsi Panther Invitational MVP and All-Tournament selection, as well as being tabbed to the A-State Invitational All-Tournament team. Mitchell racked up 1,122 assists to become the first Hokie with over 1,000 assists since 2013, and was one of only six players in the ACC to tally more than 1,000 assists.
 
Prior to joining head coach Jill Wilson at Tech, Wasielewski held the same title for 18 years at Duke, where he helped lead the Blue Devils to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances and four ACC Championships.
 
Wasielewski served under Duke head coach Jolene Nagel since her hiring in 1999 and the duo combined to turn the Blue Devil volleyball program into an ACC power. His acumen in recruiting and scouting helped propel Duke to 14 20-win seasons and an ACC-record seven consecutive NCAA Tournaments from 2005-11.
 
Considered by many as one of the top assistant coaches in the nation, Wasielewski oversaw the development of 17 All-Americans, four ACC Players of the Year and more than 20 All-ACC honorees. He has been a part of four ACC Coach of the Year staffs and four East Region Coach of the Year staffs.
 
Prior to his time in Durham, Wasielewski was the head coach at St. Bonaventure from 1992-98. He was instrumental in building the Bonnies’ volleyball program into one of the Atlantic 10’s more competitive squads. Wasielewski spent two seasons with the Bonnies as an assistant coach from 1990-91 and earned his master’s degree in education from St. Bonaventure in 1992.
 
Wasielewski played collegiately at Penn State where he was a two-time team captain and a member of two Final Four squads in 1987 and 1989. He later served as a student assistant for the Nittany Lions’ women’s program in the fall of 1989 when they went 34-7 and won the Big Ten Championship. Wasielewski competed in both the 1986 and 1987 U.S. Olympic Festivals, earning a bronze medal in both appearances. He earned his degree in economics from Penn State in 1990.
 
He and his wife Jennifer have two children, a son, Jack, and a daughter, Jenna.