Fritz Rosenberg - Volleyball Coach

Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics

Fritz Rosenberg

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Email:
frosenberg@athletics.msstate.edu

Fritz Rosenberg was hired on April 23, 2022 as the Mississippi State volleyball associate head coach and has spent two seasons with MSU.

In the 2023 season, the Bulldogs finished with a 13-15 record, including a 6-12 SEC record that featured a Top 15 victory against No. 14 Florida (Oct. 13). It was the second time in program history and the first time at home the Bulldogs earned win over the Gators. State also collected wins against Western Michigan (Sept. 8) and SEC foe Auburn (Nov. 15), who received bids to the NCAA Tournament.

Rosenberg helped development three student-athletes to SEC weekly honors in 2023. Libero Lauren Myrick tabbed her first SEC weekly honor by being named SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week, while middle blocker Zoe Gonzales collected her first SEC Defensive Player of the Week. Right side Amina Shackelford earned SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, the first of her career. Off the court, middle blocker Rebecca Walk was named to the SEC Community Service Team for the third consecutive year and College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team for the second consecutive year.

In the 2022 season, State finished with a 15-13 recorded, including a 8-10 SEC record that featured three wins over schools who appeared in the 2022 NCAA Tournament in Georgia (Sept. 21), No. 23 Arkansas (Oct. 1) and LSU (Oct. 30).

Rosenberg assisted in the development of three Bulldogs who received a total of five SEC Weekly honors. Gabby Coulter claimed SEC Setter of the Week on two separate occasions, which marked her third time earning the honor. Coulter is the only player in program history to earn SEC Setter of the Week. Libero Lilly Gunter earned Defensive Player of the Week and Co-Defensive Player of the Week, while Sania Petties locked down Co-Offensive Player of the Week.

In addition, Rosenberg helped assist Gabby Waden to a AVCA South All-Region honor for the third season. Waden is the only player in program history to earn AVCA South All-Region accolades more than once. The South Carolina native also received a spot on the All-SEC team for the third consecutive season, making her the only Bulldog to earn the honor three times.

Off the court, right-side Waden, outside hitter Lauren Myrick and middle blocker Rebecca Walk were all named to the 2022 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team, and Walk was honored to the SEC Community Service Team.

A 2008 graduate of Ball State University, Rosenberg concluded his eighth season as an assistant women's volleyball coach at his alma mater in 2021.

In his eight years with the program, Rosenberg helped guide the Cardinals to a 145-97 overall record, including an 88-47 mark in Mid-American Conference play. His expertise helped lead Ball State to a pair of NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship appearances (2019 & 2021), including the program’s third-ever first round victory in the 2021 event.

Rosenberg also helped coach the Cardinals to a pair of MAC Volleyball Tournament titles (2019 & 2021), the 2021 MAC regular season crown, and four MAC West Division championships (2017, 2018, 2019 & 2021).

In addition, he served as acting head coach for a portion of the COVID-19 adjusted 2020-21 season, guiding the Cardinals to a 5-3 record while head coach Kelli Miller Phillips was on maternity leave.

His training helped Ball State players earn All-Mid-American Conference First Team honors 15 times; Hayley Benson (2014), Kelly Hopkins (2014), Jenna Spadafora (2014 & 2015), Brooklyn Goodsel (2016 & 2017), Ellie Dunn (2018), Amber Seaman (2018), Sydnee VanBeek (2018), Natalie Risi (2019), Kia Holder (2020-21), Jaclyn Bulmahn (2021), Natalie Mitchem (2021), Marie Plitt (2021), and Megan Wielonski (2021).

In addition, Ball State's student-athletes have earned two All-MAC Second Team awards, three All-MAC Honorable Mention accolades and eight MAC All-Freshman Team honors during his time on staff.

Benson was also recognized on both the 2014 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Midwest Region Honorable Mention Team after she finished the year ranked first in the league and 44th nationally with a .368 (341-77-717) attack percentage.

In the classroom, he has helped the Cardinals earn the prestigious AVCA Team Academic Award five times (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21). He has also helped mentor both Benson (2014) and Kate Avila (2017 & 2018) to College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District Second Team honors.

In addition, Ball State student-athletes have captured Academic All-MAC honors 58 times and MAC Women’s Volleyball Distinguished Scholar Athlete honors 18 times during his tenure.

Prior to joining the Ball State staff, Rosenberg was an assistant coach at Missouri State for three seasons. As part of Melissa Stokes’ staff at MSU, helped guide the Bears to a 59-35 record during his tenure. Missouri State posted a pair of 20-win seasons with Rosenberg’s help and advanced to the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship in 2011.

In his finals season with the Bears, Rosenberg helped Missouri State senior setter Carly Thomas become just the fifth American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American in program history, as she was named to the honorable mention. He also helped MSU’s student-athletes earn 13 all-conference selections and one MVC Freshman of the Year honor during his time on staff.

Prior to joining the Missouri State staff, Rosenberg spent the 2010 season as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Kentucky under head coach Craig Skinner, who was a four-year letterwinner for the Ball State men’s volleyball program from 1990-93. He helped guide the Wildcats to a 17-14 record and a trip to the NCAA Championship. While on the UK staff, he worked with Southeastern Conference Libero of the Year Stephanie Klefot and AVCA Honorable Mention All-American middle blocker Lauren Rapp.

Rosenberg started his collegiate coaching career in 2009 as an assistant at the University of Saint Francis, in Fort Wayne, Ind., where he helped guide the Lady Cougars to a third-place finish in the Mid-Central Conference and to the highest grade-point average among all USF Athletics programs.

A 2008 graduate of Ball State University with a degree in sport administration, Rosenberg worked with both the men’s and women’s club teams at BSU from 2006-09. He was head coach and captain of the men’s club program, helping it improve a 2-38 record to a 35-16 mark by his final season. As the co-head coach of the women’s club program, he was named the 2008 National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association Co-Coach of the Year after guiding the program to a No. 1 national ranking. The women’s club program posted a 108-6 record over his three seasons and placed third at nationals in 2007 and 2008.

In addition to working with Ball State’s club teams, Rosenberg was an assistant coach at Muncie Central for two seasons, helping guide the program to a Class 4A state runner-up finish in 2006.

He was an assistant at Plainfield North in 2008, helping four players move on to NCAA Division I programs. He also had a three-year stint at Munciana, with his 2010 17U team placing fifth at the AAU National Championships.