July 31, 2009
IOWA CITY – University of Iowa Head Volleyball Coach Sharon Dingman has announced Ben Boldt will join her staff and serve as assistant coach. Boldt will join Dingman, assistant coach Jason Allen and Director of Operations Angie Boldt.
“I’m excited to be a part of the Iowa Volleyball program,” said Boldt. “The future of the program is headed in the right direction and I look forward to building on the momentum Coach Dingman has created. It is clear that the players, staff, and administration are committed to becoming a Big Ten title contender. This is an exciting time to be a Hawkeye.”
Boldt, a native of Hickman, NE, comes to Iowa after serving two years as an assistant coach at Alabama. In his first season, Boldt helped the Crimson Tide to its third-straight NCAA Tournament berth, and its third overall NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. Boldt also coached middle blocker Crystal Hudson to all-America honors, and helped bring in Alabama’s first top 30 recruiting class.
“We are very excited to have Ben Boldt join our program. His roots are with Nebraska volleyball and he gained great experience at the University of Alabama, so he brings a wealth of experience to our program,” said Dingman. “Ben will be involved with ball-control, passing, assisting the liberos and designing some of our blocking schemes. He’s going to have a big hand in what we’re trying to accomplish. The entire team is excited about Ben joining our program.”
Boldt was honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) in the spring of 2009 when he was given the “Thirty Under 30 Award.” The “Thirty Under 30 Award” was established so the volleyball community could spotlight up-and-coming professionals in the sport at all levels of the game, including high school and all NCAA Divisions.
Boldt served as a staff assistant for five seasons at the University of Nebraska while pursuing his degree, prior to joining the Alabama staff. While at Nebraska, Boldt was a part of one of the most successful programs in NCAA history. Nebraska won five Big 12 championships and advanced to the national semifinals three times. In his final season at Nebraska, the Cornhuskers finished 33-1 and were crowned NCAA champions after knocking off Stanford in the title game.
While at Nebraska, Boldt served as a coach for USA Volleyball at numerous levels. He was a USA Youth National Team coach in 2005-06, and was also a part of the A2 team in 2004.
Boldt also has experience coaching at the club level. He served as head coach for the Iowa Rockets club during the spring and summer of 2009, leading his team to a fifth place finish at the national tournament. He was also a head coach for both the Challenger Volleyball Club from 2000-04 and the Nebraska Juniors from 2005-06.
Ben Boldt is married to current Hawkeye Director of Volleyball Operations Angie Boldt.