Women's Volleyball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
- Email:
- cole.aiazzi@msubobcats.com
- Phone:
- 775-781-9969
Cole Aiazzi enters his sixth season and serves as associate head coach of the Bobcat program.
As the associate head coach/recruiting coordinator at MSU, Aiazzi is responsible for communication with, and evaluation of, all future Bobcat volleyball players. Additionally, he contributes to practice planning and generating scouting reports. Aiazzi moved from the defensive side of the net, and took over the reins of the Bobcat offense heading into the 2021 fall season.
Since joining the MSU coaching staff, Aiazzi has played an integral part in the rise of the program, and in particular the rise of his position groups to prominence within the conference as well as on the national stage.
2019 saw senior libero Allyssa Rizzo, break the all-time digs record for Montana State on Oct. 3, surpassing the old record of 1,730 career digs previously held by Kandice Kelly (2003-06).
Under Aiazzi’s tutelage, Rizzo passed the 2,000-dig threshold, the first to do so in the Blue and Gold, finishing the season smashing her own single-season dig record for a second consecutive year with 654 digs, accumulating a whopping 2,122 career saves and earning Big Sky Conference Libero of Year and all-Big Sky First-Team accolades. She became just one of three players in Big Sky history to notch over 2,000 digs.
Also benefitting under Aiazzi’s guidance were two all-conference pin hitters in senior outside Evi Wilson, and junior right-side Hannah Scott, who both earned First Team All-Big Sky selections. Wilson also added an All-Big Sky Conference Tournament team selection to her list of accolades. It was the first time in program history that three athletes have received all-conference honors in the same year.
When asked to reflect on Aiazzi’s impact on the gym, head coach Daniel Jones was quick to pour praise. “Rizzo receiving Big Sky Conference Libero of the Year and both Evi and Hannah’s All-Big Sky First-Team selections, were direct results of their dedication to their craft and to the training they get from Cole.”
Highlighting the recent team accolades were the first Big Sky Tournament win since 2005, with a four-set win over Sacramento State, also marking the first time MSU had beaten the Hornets on their home court in 22 years. Add to this a season sweep of Idaho for the first time in 31 years and beating Northern Arizona on their home court for the first time since 2006.
“Cole’s passion for the game is overwhelming,” Jones said. “He has a thirst for knowledge and development that is contagious. Cole has brought an extraordinary level of experience from his years playing and coaching the game. He is a teacher of the game first and foremost, and when you combine his passion and knowledge with his ability to communicate great things happen. This is reflected in the growth of the program and the manner in which we are winning.
“He is innovative in his coaching techniques, he is thoughtful and deliberate,” Jones added. “Cole is constantly looking at how the best teams and players execute and how we can incorporate those practices into our gym.
“Cole wants to train the best athletes in the state of Montana and beyond,” Jones said. “He knows to do this we have to get those athletes in our gym for us to work with. He is a great communicator, and I constantly hear from our team and recruits how fun Cole is to talk to and how passionate he is about the game, MSU and Bozeman.”
Prior to joining the Bobcat staff in July 2017, he spent the 2016 season contributing to a Big Ten Conference Championship and Final Four appearance as part of the University of Nebraska program. Prior to his stint at Nebraska, Aiazzi was a graduate assistant coach at Augustana College, where he produced scouting reports and trained liberos and outside hitters. He also assisted with recruiting duties.
A former AVCA NCAA Division III All-America performer at Lakeland College, Aiazzi has club experience with Volleyball Club Nebraska (VCN). He coached the program's 17 Elite squad to a Heartland Cup championship in 18's division, as well as a top five finish at the Asics President's Day Classic.
Aiazzi graduated from Lakeland College in 2015 with a degree in exercise science and sport studies. He is currently working on his Master of Arts in Educational Administration from the University of Nebraska.
As a player, the former libero was the 2015 Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-MCVL selection for the Muskies. Aiazzi, is a native of Yerington, Nevada.
