After 23 years, Volleyball Head Coach Brandon Rosenthal to retire
When one thinks of Lipscomb Volleyball, Head Coach Brandon Rosenthal comes to mind. The two are strongly tied together – but they won’t be for much longer.
After 23 seasons as Lipscomb Volleyball’s head coach, it’s no surprise that Rosenthal is one of the cornerstones of the program. Yet late in the afternoon of Jan. 7, his retirement was announced to the Lipscomb community.
The decision came, Rosenthal said to Lipscomb Athletics, not from a desire to leave Lipscomb, but rather from one to “put FAMILY FIRST, a message I have preached for decades.”
Athletic’s Director Philip Hutcheson, in a release from Athletics, spoke highly of Rosenthal. “Brandon’s legacy here is secure, not just in the record books, but in the culture he built. He is leaving the program in a position of strength, and he does so with our full support and lasting gratitude. And our appreciation isn’t just for the impact he’s had on our volleyball program, or on the game in middle Tennessee, in the ASUN and even nationwide. Our appreciation is even greater for what he’s done to raise standards and the vision for what is possible for Lipscomb teams.”
Rosenthal will be leaving the program as the winningest coach in program history, boasting a record of 415-269, but it’s more than that. With 415 wins, he is the winningest volleyball coach in ASUN conference history, and among the Division I coaches in the entire state of Tennessee.
Upon reaching 400 career wins, a milestone he passed on Nov. 21, 2024, he became just the 98th head coach in the entirety of the NCAA – Divisions I, II and III – to do so while coaching for the same school. (To read sports writer Alaina Morris’s article about Rosenthal’s 400th win, click here.)
“Thank you Lipscomb Volleyball for taking a chance on a young guy that will always believe that it is so much bigger than the sport itself. I will always be proud to be a part of Lipscomb and LUV,” Rosenthal told Athletics.
Rosenthal has also led the Lady Bisons to one of Lipscomb’s most consistent athletics’ ASUN tournament appearance run. The LUV team has appeared in the postseason tournament for 21 seasons in a row, making it to the semifinals 19 times and the final match 12. They have won seven of those 12 final matches, taking the conference title seven times, with a 30-14 record in the championship. He has also been named the ASUN Coach of the Year five times.
The team has also appeared in eight NCAA Tournaments, through seven automatic qualifiers, and one At-Large bid in 2014. The Lady Bisons also finished in the top 100 of the Rating Performance Index 13 times out of Rosenthal’s 23 years as head coach.
Lipscomb will begin the search for a new volleyball head coach. More details will follow as the search progresses.
Featured image taken by Micah Barkley.
