It won’t be easy to fill a legend’s shoes. But Katie Schumacher-Cawley is going to do her best.
Schumacher-Cawley spent the past four seasons working with Russ Rose, who won seven national championships and a Division I record 1,330 games in 43 years at Penn State. Now, she’ll be running the show. The school announced Monday that Schumacher-Cawley will be the next women’s volleyball coach at Penn State.
“After an extensive national search, we are thrilled to have Katie Schumacher-Cawley named as the third head coach in Penn State women’s volleyball history,” athletic director Sandy Barbour said. “Katie has a deep connection with the Penn State program as both an All-American and national champion student-athlete and assistant coach.”
Schumacher-Cawley is a part of Penn State’s volleyball tradition not just as a coach, but as a player, too. She was a two-time all-American and a member of Rose’s 1999 national championship squad, and also played basketball for the Nittany Lions in 2001 and ‘02.
With her family by her side, @CoachKatiePSU was introduced and threw some t-shirts to the crowd at tonight's @PennStateMBB game.#WeAre pic.twitter.com/jsBAH47RJd
— Penn State Women’s Volleyball (@PennStateVBALL) January 12, 2022
Before returning to her alma mater as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator in 2018, Schumacher-Cawley was the head coach at Illinois-Chicago from 2009-16 and at Penn for the 2017 season.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.In the past few years, the Nittany Lions have been knocked off their perch as queens of college volleyball. Penn State hasn’t won a national championship since 2014, which is a long time in State College. Schumacher-Cawley is already a national champion as a player. Now, it’s up to her to continue what Rose started.
Schumacher-Cawley thanked Rose and Barbour, and said that she wouldn’t be where she is today without her predecessor.
“Coach is the best to ever do it, and to be sure there will never be another like him,” Schumacher-Cawley said.
“Being chosen as the next head coach at my alma mater, Penn State, is a dream come true,” she said. “The love I have for this storied University, passionate community and all things blue and white is unmatched.”
