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From gridiron to hardwood, former Griz player takes over coaching volleyball
If football is Montana’s trophy wife, then surely volleyball would be the goofy, sort of unattractive ex-girlfriend who didn’t blossom into physical beauty until adulthood. And if former Montana Grizzly football player Sean Wren has anything to do with the Montana sports scene, volleyball will continue to get sexier in Montana.
Wren coaches the U-15 Montana Volleyball Association team. The gridiron giant (Wren is listed as 6-foot-6 on gogriz.com’s football roster) has plenty of experience with volleyball stemming back to his high school days. His high school team won a state championship, and Wren went on to play volleyball for perennial v-ball powerhouse, Long Beach State. He redshirted for a year before suffering from football withdrawals. But he didn’t lose his passion for volleyball during his hiatus from the sport, and for him, coaching always seemed like a viable option, says his sister and assistant coach Nicole Wren.
“Sean is really, really competitive, so it suits him for volleyball,” she said. “He gets very intense and inspires girls in an interesting way. The girls respond well to his coaching.”
Wren has also interested players’ parents.
Gesche Woerlein first noticed Wren when she walked into the Adams Center for her daughter’s practice. Woerlein had no idea who Wren was.
“I didn’t know he was my daughter’s coach, but I’m super happy to have him,” she said. “He’s friendly, polite and well-spoken.”
Woerlein also said his Southern California pedigree is beneficial. She said his love of the game and understanding is refreshing to have in Missoula.
Part of Wren’s understanding of the game can be attributed to his brief stint at Long Beach State under head coach Alan Knipe. Recently, United States of America Volleyball (USAV) chose Knipe to guide the U.S. men’s Olympic team. Thanks to Knipe, Wren thinks he can expand Montana’s volleyball knowledge base.
“Volleyball up here isn’t as big,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to have some of the best coaching in the world and I do like bringing that here.”
One of the secrets to Wren’s coaching formula is competitiveness. Playing football for the University of Montana taught Wren that everybody wants to win, but in order to so it takes more of a mental approach to the game. He said being taught how to win and relying that same attitude to his girls is what coaching is all about.
“I learned a lot about coaching through football, with the biggest thing being the mentality of the Griz,” he said. “We were expected to win and win every game. In volleyball that’s what you have to do in tournaments, is win every game. That’s what I’m trying to teach them.”
Wren’s almost draconian winning attitude could seem like it wouldn’t be a fit for U-15 girls, but according to Kara Hogan, it’s the exact opposite.
During their last tournament, Hogan said other team’s coaches and players commented on her team’s enthusiasm for playing with each other and noticed their team chemistry. Also, she added, him being a male added another humorous wrinkle to the team.
“It’s funny because he’s a guy and so he’s just ‘guy-y’, I guess,” she said with a laugh. “He makes us work really hard, because he knows how good we are so he tries to push us to his potential.”
Hogan and her team have responded well to Wren’s coaching, as displayed by their latest tournament result.
For the first time ever, the U-15 team competed in the Pacific North Qualifier which is is one of USA Volleyball’s national qualifying tournaments. It is a mandated 3-day tournament comprised of hundreds of teams. The girls made it to the Gold bracket, which is composed of the best teams the tournament has to offer.
The girls lost to the eventual champion of the tournament and finished eighth. During their tourney run, everyone was shocked when they learned that a Montana team advanced to the later stages.
Everyone but Wren.
From gridiron to hardwood, former Griz player takes over coaching volleyball
If football is Montana’s trophy wife, then surely volleyball would be the goofy, sort of unattractive ex-girlfriend who didn’t blossom into physical beauty until adulthood. And if former Montana Grizzly football player Sean Wren has anything to do with the Montana sports scene, volleyball will continue to get sexier in Montana.
Wren coaches the U-15 Montana Volleyball Association team. The gridiron giant (Wren is listed as 6-foot-6 on gogriz.com’s football roster) has plenty of experience with volleyball stemming back to his high school days. His high school team won a state championship, and Wren went on to play volleyball for perennial v-ball powerhouse, Long Beach State. He redshirted for a year before suffering from football withdrawals. But he didn’t lose his passion for volleyball during his hiatus from the sport, and for him, coaching always seemed like a viable option, says his sister and assistant coach Nicole Wren.
“Sean is really, really competitive, so it suits him for volleyball,” she said. “He gets very intense and inspires girls in an interesting way. The girls respond well to his coaching.”
Wren has also interested players’ parents.
Gesche Woerlein first noticed Wren when she walked into the Adams Center for her daughter’s practice. Woerlein had no idea who Wren was.
“I didn’t know he was my daughter’s coach, but I’m super happy to have him,” she said. “He’s friendly, polite and well-spoken.”
Woerlein also said his Southern California pedigree is beneficial. She said his love of the game and understanding is refreshing to have in Missoula.
Part of Wren’s understanding of the game can be attributed to his brief stint at Long Beach State under head coach Alan Knipe. Recently, United States of America Volleyball (USAV) chose Knipe to guide the U.S. men’s Olympic team. Thanks to Knipe, Wren thinks he can expand Montana’s volleyball knowledge base.
“Volleyball up here isn’t as big,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to have some of the best coaching in the world and I do like bringing that here.”
One of the secrets to Wren’s coaching formula is competitiveness. Playing football for the University of Montana taught Wren that everybody wants to win, but in order to so it takes more of a mental approach to the game. He said being taught how to win and relying that same attitude to his girls is what coaching is all about.
“I learned a lot about coaching through football, with the biggest thing being the mentality of the Griz,” he said. “We were expected to win and win every game. In volleyball that’s what you have to do in tournaments, is win every game. That’s what I’m trying to teach them.”
Wren’s almost draconian winning attitude could seem like it wouldn’t be a fit for U-15 girls, but according to Kara Hogan, it’s the exact opposite.
During their last tournament, Hogan said other team’s coaches and players commented on her team’s enthusiasm for playing with each other and noticed their team chemistry. Also, she added, him being a male added another humorous wrinkle to the team.
“It’s funny because he’s a guy and so he’s just ‘guy-y’, I guess,” she said with a laugh. “He makes us work really hard, because he knows how good we are so he tries to push us to his potential.”
Hogan and her team have responded well to Wren’s coaching, as displayed by their latest tournament result.
For the first time ever, the U-15 team competed in the Pacific North Qualifier which is is one of USA Volleyball’s national qualifying tournaments. It is a mandated 3-day tournament comprised of hundreds of teams. The girls made it to the Gold bracket, which is composed of the best teams the tournament has to offer.
The girls lost to the eventual champion of the tournament and finished eighth. During their tourney run, everyone was shocked when they learned that a Montana team advanced to the later stages.
Everyone but Wren.
