Jesse Tupac enters his second season as an assistant coach with The University of New Mexico volleyball program after joining the program in February of 2019.
Off the court, Tupac is responsible for coordinating the day-the-day recruiting operations. On the court, he oversees the Lobo offensive systems, and directly oversees the development of the setters.
Tupac joined the volleyball program from the University of Denver, where he served as an assistant coach for the Pioneers for the previous three years, where he oversaw the offense as well as assisted with recruiting.
“I am beyond excited to welcome Jesse to the Lobo Volleyball program,” Newman-Gonchar said at the time of his hiring.
“Jesse was a ‘no-brainer’ decision for me to hire. He brings immediate value from a technical, tactical, and analytical standpoint, while I think he distinctly sets himself apart in those areas.”
In his three years with the DU program, Tupac turned the Pioneers into an offensive threat, improving the statistical numbers and success each year.
While at Denver, the Pioneers won The Summit League regular-season title and were selected for the NCAA Tournament all three years.
Last season, Denver compiled a program-best 27-3 overall record, which included a 25-match win streak and 16 sweeps, and went a perfect 15-0 in The Summit League to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Offensively, Denver ranked nationally in the top 20 in three categories. The Pioneers led the NCAA in aces per set (1.99), was 15th in hitting percentage (.269) and 19th in kills per set (14.11). At the conference-level, Denver ranked first in assists per set (13.05), hitting percentage and kills per set, and was second in total team kills with 1552 on the season. Nine times last season, DU hit over .300 in a match and twice surpassed a hitting efficiency of .400.
The year prior, DU went 23-6, 12-2 in The Summit League, and ranked first in hitting percentage (.253), assists per set (13.06) and kills per set (13.91) in the conference. The Pioneers eclipsed the .300 hitting clip 10 times.
His first year, in 2016, Tupac guided the Pioneers to the 23rd-best offensive efficiency in the country with a hitting percentage of .264, including hitting over .300 in 11 matches. DU averaged 13.21 kills and 12.47 assists per set.
Prior to working at Denver, he served as the director of volleyball operations at Penn State. Penn State made a Sweet Sixteen appearance and finished with a 28-6 record during Tupac’s time in State College.
Tupac also brings to Albuquerque international experience, working with USA Volleyball in various positions, as well as with the Australian national team.
He served as an assistant coach for the Australian women’s national team at the World Grand Prix where the Aussies beat Trinidad and Tobago in straight sets for the first World Grand Prix victory in Australia’s history and their first FIVB win since the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
In addition, he served as an assistant coach for the USA Volleyball women’s indoor national team at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, where the US won gold for the first time since 1965. In 2014, Tupac worked with both the US junior and senior teams at the NORECECA World Championship Qualifiers. He served as the technical coordinator for the women’s volleyball indoor youth national squad and worked for the gold medal-winning women’s indoor national team.
Like Newman-Gonchar, Tupac received national recognition, earning the distinction of being a recipient of the 2015 AVCA 30 Under 30 Award, as an up-and-coming volleyball coach under the age of 30.
Other stops for Tupac include a graduate assistant position at Iowa State and a volunteer assistant position at Loyola Marymount. At LMU, Tupac assisted with training, video coordinating, data analysis and the compilation of scouting reports during the 2013 season.
“What separates him even more is the quality of person he is,” Newman-Gonchar said. “Jesse’s experience with some of the top programs in NCAA volleyball including Penn State, Iowa State and most recently at the University of Denver, his international experiences with both USA Volleyball and Team Australia will all be a huge advantage for us.
“Not only will our players benefit from Jesse’s experiences, our department and volleyball community as a whole will all quickly learn why Jesse is one of the best.”
Tupac played collegiately at UCLA for coach Al Scates and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in creative writing.