Northern State University Volleyball
Head Coach

Brent Aldridge
Head Volleyball Coach

ABERDEEN, S.D. – Iowa native and former Arizona State assistant coach Brent Aldridge has accepted the Northern State University head volleyball position.  NSU president Dr. James Smith and athletic director Bob Olson made the announcement on Wednesday, Jan. 5.

“Coach Aldridge brings a unique talent set to NSU,” said Smith.  “He has extensive experience in Division I volleyball and has worked with some of the finest coaches and athletes in America.  He also knows South Dakota and the Upper Midwest.  I think we have made an excellent choice in selecting Brent to lead a very important athletic squad for us here at Northern.  I know that he’ll lead with the utmost of energy and dedication!”

Aldridge comes to NSU after three years as the top assistant coach for the Sun Devils under head coach Jason Watson.  At ASU, Aldridge served as the defensive coordinator, helping the Sun Devils to a 13th place ranking in the nation in blocks per set (2.74) in 2009.  

Prior to his time at Arizona State, Aldridge was also the head assistant coach under Watson at Brigham Young University.  There, he helped the Cougars to a 74-18 record and one Mountain West Conference regular season title and three NCAA tournament appearances in three seasons.

Aldridge also has Division I coaching experience at the University of New Mexico (2002-05) – where the Lobos set the school’s single-season block assist record in 2002 – and Northern Arizona University (2001-02).  NAU finished second in the Big Sky Conference that season and improved their blocking average to a ten-year high 2.70 per set, up from 2.38 per set the previous season.

He also has 14 years experience at the high school and club levels and spent the 1999 and 2000 seasons at the helm of St. Mary’s College in Leavenworth, Kan., building that program from scratch in those two seasons.

A native of Spirit Lake, Iowa, Aldridge is a 1992 graduate of the University of South Dakota, where he served as an assistant coach from 1994-96.  He and his wife, Mary, have three children: Madison, Brayden, and Maisy.