Rick Nold completed his ninth season as Auburn’s head volleyball coach in 2019. He was named the 10th coach in program history on April 10, 2011.
In his nine seasons on the Plains, Nold has put together a 127-139 overall record (.477). He closed his time on the Plains with a career winning percentage of .558 in 18 years as a collegiate head coach, having a 299-237 mark.
Nold and the Tigers closed the 2019 season with a 7-22 mark, earning non-conference victories against Miami and Georgia Tech. During a tough SEC stretch, Auburn closed the season with a sweep on in-state rival Alabama at Tuscaloosa. The young squad was highlighted by performances by underclassmen, including sophomore Bella Rosenthall, who closed the conference slate ranked 10th in digs per set.
The youthful 2018 squad finished 12-16 overall, picking up big program wins during the non-conference slate at Kansas and vs. Florida State. A pair of freshmen in Mica Allison and Tatum Shipes were recognized by the Southeastern Conference and were placed on the All-Freshman squad. In addition, Anna Stevenson earned a spot on the AVCA All-South Region team.
The 2017 season saw the Tigers go 15-12 overall, picking up big non-conference wins. Auburn opened with a sweep at Georgia Tech and topped then-No. 16 North Carolina and NC State in Puerto Rico. Boasting one of the toughest schedules in the Southeastern Conference, the squad finished 8-10 overall against the league and came in a tie for seventh.
Nold and his staff guided seniors Jesse Earl and Alexa Filley to more postseason accolades in 2017. Earl became the program’s first All-American, earning honorable mention recognition. Both were once again named All-SEC and AVCA All-South, while classmate Macy Reece was honored as the SEC Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the year – the fifth honor in program history and the third under Nold.
Auburn had one of its best finishes in the Southeastern Conference in 2016, going 9-9 and finishing tied for fifth overall. The league finish was the best for the program since 2010 as the squad went 15-16 overall. Earl and Filley had successful campaigns, being named All-SEC and honored by the AVCA All-South region. Earl and Filley both reached 1,000 career digs as juniors last season and Earl's path to that total marked the fasted by any Tiger in program history. Gwyn Jones picked up SEC All-Freshman honors, marking the second-straight season a Tiger has been recognized. The team picked up another upset over a nationally-ranked squad in 2016, earning a come-from-behind victory over then-No. 21 Louisville on the road in five sets.
The 2015 season was an exciting one for the young Tiger team as the squad went 18-12 overall and came in sixth in the conference with a 10-8 mark. Brenna McIlroy earned SEC All-Freshman accolades, marking the first time since 2010 that a Tiger newbie was honored by the league. Stephanie Campbell was named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Auburn's 3-2 win over then-No. 11 Florida was the team's first win over a nationally-ranked opponent since 2013 and snapped a 41-match losing streak to the Gators. Auburn finished 11-3 at home in Auburn Arena.
The Tigers finished 19-11 during the 2013 season, tying for sixth in the SEC with a 10-8 conference record. The 10 victories in SEC play were the most by the Tigers since 2010. Nold also guided the Tigers to their first-ever win over a top-10 opponent, knocking off No. 10 Nebraska, 3-1.
His second season (2012) saw a six-match improvement from his first as he took the Tigers from an 11-19 mark (5-15 SEC) in 2011 to a 17-13 record (8-12 SEC) in 2012. He led the Tigers to nine straight wins to open the season, the second-longest winning streak in program history. Nold also picked up his 200th career head coaching victory on Nov. 4 with a 3-1 win over Georgia.
During his time at Auburn, Nold's players have re-written the Tigers' record book. Camila Jersonsky finished her career as Auburn's all-time leader in hitting percentage (.355), while also ranking in the top-10 in program history with 368 total blocks, 317 block assists, blocks per set and solo blocks.
In addition, Earl set the program record for career digs/set with a 4.79 average. Her 5.19 digs/set mark in 2017 also is an Auburn best for a single season. Filley’s 4,721 career assists came in No. 2 overall, but No. 1 in rally-scoring.
Nold came to Auburn after directing Jacksonville State to unprecedented heights during his nine-year tenure, winning three regular season conference titles, three conference tournament titles and making three NCAA postseason appearances. He compiled an overall record of 172-98, while posting an impressive 107-42 (72 percent) mark in league games.
A three-time conference Coach of the Year, Nold led the Gamecocks to Ohio Valley Conference regular season or tournament title in four out of six seasons. He captured the OVC regular season in 2006, `07 and `09, while winning the conference tournament title in 2005, `06 and `09.
Jacksonville State advanced to the NCAA Division I Tournament in 2005, `06 and `09 under Nold, the only NCAA postseason appearances in the program's history. In 2009, Nold led the program to another milestone, by winning the school's first NCAA Tournament match, defeating Florida A&M.
Nold's 2009 team finished the season 27-8, which was the most wins in program history, swept both conference titles and advanced to the NCAA second round. He was rewarded by being named the OVC Coach of the Year as well as the Midwest Region Coach of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
In 2006, the Gamecocks were 24-5 overall and posted a perfect 18-0 mark in conference play, sweeping all but one conference match. At one time that season, JSU won 49 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the nation.
Nold came to Jacksonville State from his alma mater, Louisville, where he spent six years on the Cardinals' staff, the last four as a full-time assistant whose duties included recruiting coordinator. During his time at Louisville, the Cardinals won four Conference USA titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament five times, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 1996 and 1998.
He was the head coach of the 16-and-under and 18-and-under teams for the Kentucky Indiana Volleyball Academy in Louisville, where he coached teams that won the 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 AAU National Championships. His teams also earned Top 5 finishes at the USA Volleyball National Championships in 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2001.
Nold began his coaching career as an assistant at Assumption High School in his hometown, where he helped the girls' varsity squad to three state championships and a 137-9 overall record before joining the University of Louisville staff in 1996. Nold served as an intern with USA Volleyball, where he assisted the women's national team in preparations for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He received a bachelor's degree from Louisville in the spring of 1998 in Sports Administration.
He is a member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association, the Association of Volleyball Professionals and USA Volleyball Impact Certified Coach. He also serves on the All-Region and All-America selections committees.