Vinh Nguyen was named the next head coach of the Mitchell College women’s volleyball team in March 2026.
Nguyen arrives in New London following a seven-year tenure as head coach at the University of Hartford from 2018–25, where he guided the program to multiple individual accolades and sustained success both on and off the court. Under his leadership, Hartford produced a pair of conference Players of the Year, two All-Americans, a Rookie of the Year, and eight all-conference selections, along with 11 all-academic honorees. He also served on the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) East Region Selection Committee and the AVCA Division I Head Coaches Committee.
Prior to his time at Hartford, Nguyen spent three seasons as associate head coach at the University of North Texas, where he played a key role in a Conference USA championship season in 2017 that saw the team post a 29–3 record. In that role, he served as recruiting coordinator and helped develop multiple award-winning players, including a two-time conference Player of the Year and All-American.
Nguyen also served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at California State University, Fullerton, helping the program capture the Big West Conference title in 2010.
His extensive coaching background includes experience at the international level as a staff member with the USA Men’s Olympic Team from 2005–07, where he assisted with preparation for major international competitions, including the World League and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
At the collegiate level, Nguyen previously spent time at Cal Poly Pomona, where he contributed to a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championship team that finished 25–2 while helping develop multiple All-Americans and all-conference performers.
In addition to his collegiate and international experience, Nguyen founded and directed the Top Gun Volleyball Academy for 20 years, training more than 3,000 athletes and helping develop players who went on to compete at all levels of collegiate volleyball, including the Olympic stage.
Nguyen began his coaching career at the high school level in California and also served as an adjunct professor of kinesiology at Cal Poly Pomona. He earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Cal Poly Pomona in 2000.
