Northeastern University Athletics

Northeastern Director of Athletics and Recreation Jim Madigan announced on January 31, 2025 that Brendan McGourn has been named as the next head coach of the women's volleyball program. McGourn arrives at Northeastern from Fairfield, where he helped guide the program to consecutive MAAC championships and NCAA appearances.
 
"We are thrilled to welcome Brendan as the next head coach of our program here at Northeastern," Madigan said. "Brendan has a proven track record for recruiting student-athletes who can compete athletically and thrive academically at the highest levels, and his commitment to the holistic development of our student-athletes stood out to us from the start. The combination of his passion and technical expertise of the sport greatly excites us for the future of our women's volleyball program under his leadership."
 
McGourn spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Fairfield, where he was involved in all areas of the program as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. The Stags went 43-19 (.694) overall in his two years, including a 33-3 (.917) mark in league play, highlighted by back-to-back MAAC Championships and NCAA tournament appearances. 
 
"I am thrilled and honored to join the Northeastern University community as the head women's volleyball coach," McGourn said. "Northeastern's commitment to excellence both academically and athletically is something I deeply admire, and I am excited to help build a program that reflects those values. My focus will be on creating a culture of hard work, teamwork, and continuous improvement, both on and off the court. I can't wait to get started and work with our student-athletes to achieve greatness together."
 
Eleven student-athletes earned all-conference accolades during McGourn's time at Fairfield, while 19 collected all-academic honors.
 
Prior to Fairfield, McGourn worked at Yale for eight seasons where he was a part of four Ivy League Championship teams (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019). The Bulldogs were 102-43 overall and 66-17 in league play with McGourn on the sidelines. In addition to on-court instruction, he was also responsible for team travel, individual and team practice planning, and worked directly with athletics marketing, promotions and alumni relations. 
 
McGourn won back-to-back NCAA Division III National Championships as a student-athlete at Springfield College in 2011 and 2012. After graduating from Springfield in May 2013, he joined the coaching staff and helped lead the Pride to a third consecutive national title that fall.