Head Coach Katie O'Brien

Katie O’Brien is entering her 11th season as the head coach of the University of Montevallo volleyball program.

O’Brien has led her team to a winning record in 13 of her 17 seasons as a head coach and guided the Falcons to a 20-win season for the 10th time in their NCAA Division II era in 2015. The Falcons have been regionally ranked at some point in each of the past four years.

The Falcons return to the Gulf South Conference in 2017, with O’Brien guiding the Falcons to a 21-18 record and a 6-6 mark in conference play in their final year in the conference in her first season at Montevallo in 2008.

During the Falcons membership in the Peach Belt Conference under O’Brien, she coached 10 first team All-Peach Belt Conference selections, six second team All-Peach Belt Conference selections, one conference Player of the Year, one conference Freshman of the Year, two conference Setters of the Year and two conference Liberos of the Year. O’Brien also coached one six American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Southeast Region selections during the stretch. One player, Kristy Bohan, was also named an D2CCA All-American.

O’Brien’s teams advanced to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament in seven out of eight years as a member of the conference.

Under O’Brien’s guidance, the Falcons have also excelled in the classroom after earning the AVCA Team Academic Award for the ninth consecutive year. O’Brien also coached 37 Peach Belt Conference All-Academic Team selections during the Falcons’ membership in the conference.

O'Brien came to UM from Piedmont College in Demorest, Ga., where she served as the head volleyball coach for eight seasons. O’Brien also served as the school’s Senior Woman Administrator.

O'Brien was inducted into the Piedmont College Hall of Fame in the spring of 2013. She guided the Lady Lions to their first-ever NCAA Division III National Tournament in 2007. With a career record of 178-109 at Piedmont, O'Brien led her team to two Great South Athletic Conference Tournament Championships, in 2001 and in 2007. She was also voted twice named GSAC Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2007. Also serving as the school's Senior Women's Administrator, she mentored 36 Academic All-Conference honorees, 22 All-Conference selections, 12 Freshmen All-Conference picks, three GSAC Freshmen-of-the-Year selections, one league Player of the Year and two tournament MVPs. At Piedmont, O'Brien was also a member of the South Regional Advisory Committee and is chapter adviser of the National College Athletic Honor Society, Chi Alpha Sigma.

O'Brien received her Bachelor of Science degree in sports, health, leisure and physical studies from the University of Iowa in 1999. She earned her master's degree in public administration from Piedmont in 2001.

Prior to beginning her coaching career, she was a standout volleyball player at the University of Iowa. O’Brien finished her career ranked 14th on the Hawkeyes career blocks list and is 13th in career attack percentage. Additionally, O'Brien posted back-to-back top-10 finishes in the Big-10 Conference in blocks per game in 1997 and 1998.

O’Brien is a member of both the AVCA and the American Coaches Federation. She is a former member of the board of directors of the Vertical 1 Club Team and is a former coach for the Northlake Kaepa Volleyball Club.

O'Brien is married to her husband, Freddie Chapman, and resides in Calera.