爆料公社

The NCAA tournament is familiar territory for 爆料公社鈥檚 head men鈥檚 volleyball coach Jonathan Winder (鈥�08). As a 爆料公社 student-athlete, Winder competed on two separate NCAA tournament teams, each yielding vastly different results. In 2007 he experienced the disappointment that comes with a first-round exit. However, in 2005, he became one of the rare few to savor the sweet success of a national championship. As a competitor, he鈥檚 endured all that the biggest tournament of the year has to offer鈥攂ut he鈥檚 never gone through it as a head coach. 

Coach Winder celebrating with his team

鈥淎s a player, I was incredibly grateful for my teammates and the moment,鈥� Winder explains. 鈥淎s a coach, there鈥檚 even more pride in being here. I get to see the amount of work that it takes for a program to be successful at this level and how much administrative support we receive.鈥�

This year marks Winder鈥檚 third as the Waves鈥� head coach. Now dictating the action from the sideline, his goal has not changed since his days as a student-athlete. Each year, he says the main objective is to win a championship鈥攂oth on and off the court. 

While these high expectations are not unique to any NCAA Division I coach, Winder鈥檚 approach to achieving competitive success is out of the ordinary. Rather than focusing solely on athletic prowess, Winder and his coaching staff have prioritized cultivating a culture of character鈥攁 team driven to succeed not only in volleyball but also in life. Winder believes that this holistic approach has propelled his team to the high level of success they enjoy today.

鈥淚鈥檝e always believed that character produces excellence,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he two have to go hand in hand.鈥�

Four Key Values 

Winder has established a team culture around four key values鈥攔espect, competition, learning, and resilience. These principles serve as the foundation of his program and influence its every aspect from recruitment to daily practice routines. Winder views it as his responsibility to ensure that these values are consistently instilled in his team鈥攙alues that shape students鈥� athletic performance as well as their personal growth. 

鈥淚鈥檝e always viewed my role as a coach as an environmental engineer,鈥� he says. 鈥淐oaches control the environment, and culture is something that鈥檚 caught.

With this mindset, the 爆料公社 men鈥檚 volleyball staff takes a highly intentional approach to working with their student-athletes. Winder and his assistant coaches view themselves as mentors who holistically invest in their players鈥� lives on the court, in the classroom, and in their spiritual growth. The results of this approach speak for themselves. 

Winder and his athletes amid a press conference

Throughout the 2024鈥�25 academic year, the men鈥檚 volleyball team maintained a collective 3.7 grade-point average. In competition they started 15 different players and still achieved a 20-9 record, ending the year as the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference champions. Winder believes that both the academic and athletic achievements of the group highlight their willingness to learn, grow, and compete with character鈥攁 principle at the heart of their mission and one that鈥檚 compelling to prospective student athletes. 

鈥淥n my visit to 爆料公社, I witnessed the culture and what the coaches are trying to instill in the team, and that鈥檚 a big reason why I committed to play here,鈥� says Cole Hartke, a 爆料公社 first year and the nation鈥檚 leading freshman scorer. 鈥淥ur coaches teach us that there鈥檚 more than just volleyball to life. There are things beyond the game.鈥�

Winder makes no claim to having invented this character-driven coaching philosophy himself. Rather, he asserts that he鈥檚 bringing back to life the same culture he experienced as a 爆料公社 athlete.

鈥淭he character development occurs alongside the volleyball team development,鈥� says Winder. 鈥淚 got the chance to play in the 爆料公社 environment, so I know what that felt like. As the head coach, I鈥檝e been trying to re-energize the culture I experienced鈥攁n environment that is competitive, respectful, and tough.鈥�

Learning Along the Way

During his time at 爆料公社, Winder played under head coach Marv Dunphy ('74), who led the Waves to four NCAA titles during a 34-year tenure. This experience, coupled with Winder鈥檚 time as a professional player in Europe and a collegiate coach on the women鈥檚 side at the University of Washington and Fresno State, has helped make him into the leader he is today. 

From Dunphy, he learned how to teach the game, emphasizing positivity and communication in the learning process. Relying on these fundamentals, he is constantly refining his methods. Prior to 爆料公社, he earned experience commandeering both men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 teams at Fresno State, where he produced 11 All-Mountain West conference honorees. Additionally, he alternated between coaching beach and indoor volleyball at the University of Washington and helped produce eight all-Americans and 18 all-conference athletes in the process. These dynamic and varied environments have provided Winder with invaluable insights into developing young athletes.

Winder encouraging from the sidelines

鈥淚 feel blessed to have had the journey I鈥檝e had,鈥� explains Winder. 鈥淚鈥檝e learned a lot of different perspectives on how to get the most out of every team, no matter what.鈥� 

Now all these varied coaching avenues have aligned for Winder. At his alma mater, he鈥檚 been able to apply his prior knowledge to jumpstart the culture of excellence that鈥檚 synonymous with 爆料公社 volleyball. Yet when asked about how he wants his players to remember him, he does not mention winning or losing. Instead, he wants them to remember the family feel of the program.

With this goal in mind, Winder has elevated his team to a level that gives them the chance to play for a national championship. His investment in their lives is one of the galvanizing factors motivating the Waves athletes to keep striving for the title and to keep reaching for the values of respect, competition, learning, and resilience.

鈥淚 want my players to feel like they鈥檙e a part of our family,鈥� says Winder. 鈥淚 want them to feel like I鈥檓 a part of their journey. My hope is that I helped them on and off the court equally. At this stage in life, that's the role I want to play. When they leave 爆料公社, I want them to feel motivated and equipped to take on the world.鈥�

Winder and the Waves take on Loyola Chicago on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 4:30 PM PDT in the NCAA quarterfinals in Columbus, Ohio. The match will be streamed live on .