Kristian Kuld - Women's Beach Volleyball Coach - University of Oregon Athletics

Kristian Kuld

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
kkuld@uoregon.edu

Oregon director of athletics Rob Mullens announced the hiring of Kristian Kuld as the next head coach of the UO beach volleyball program on Friday, June, 6, 2025, bringing one of the nation’s top assistant coaches to Eugene to lead the Ducks.

Kuld spent the last 11 seasons as an assistant coach for the Long Beach State beach volleyball team, helping The Beach to five NCAA/AVCA Championship appearances as well as more than 225 wins and seven top-10 finishes.

Kuld takes over as Oregon’s head coach ahead of construction of new beach volleyball courts and locker rooms on campus as part of the Hamilton Walton Transformation Project. Oregon played its 2025 home matches at the new Grace Community Fellowship Courts and will do so again in 2026 before opening its new facility.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kristian to Eugene as the next leader of Oregon beach volleyball,” Mullens said. “This is an exciting time for our program and we are looking forward to having Kristian on board, as he brings tremendous experience and knowledge in the sport of beach volleyball and has competed at the highest levels during his time as both a player and a coach. His dedication to providing a first-class student-athlete experience aligns perfectly with our values.”

A four-year scholarship athlete at UCLA as a player (2009-12), Kuld got his start in coaching at Long Beach State as an assistant in 2014. He was also the founder and co-owner of Actyve Volleyball Club from 2014-2023, establishing a girls youth volleyball club in a highly competitive Los Angeles market.

Since 2023, Kuld served as the lead court coach for the MBsand Volleyball Club, working with the No. 1-ranked club in the country alongside USAV Beach National Team coaches Patty and Mike Dodd.

In 2018, Kuld was named to the AVCA “30 Under 30” list as one of the nation’s top 30 coaches under age 30.

“I am incredibly honored and excited to join the University of Oregon as the new beach volleyball head coach,” Kuld said. “I am deeply grateful to Rob Mullens and the rest of the UO administration for the opportunity to lead this program into an exciting new era. I look forward to contributing to the strong tradition of athletic excellence at Oregon and building something special together. I can’t wait to get started. Go Ducks!”

Kuld helped lead Long Beach State to Big West Conference titles in both 2025 and 2023, as well as a runner-up finish in 2024. In his time at LBSU, Kuld coached eight AVCA first-team all-Americans and 52 all-conference award winners.

Long Beach State was the 2015 national runners-up at the AVCA National Championships with Kuld on staff, finishing with a 17-7 overall record.

Kuld’s student-athletes also excelled in the classroom during his time at LBSU. He coached the 2017 NCAA Elite 90 Award winner and his teams have earned the USMC-AVCA Team Academic Award four times.

Kuld also spent three seasons as a volunteer assistant coach for the Long Beach State indoor volleyball team, helping The Beach to a 2014 Big West Conference championship and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament while working with two AVCA all-Americans.

Kuld was a 10-time selection to the Director’s Honor Roll list as well as a Scholar-Athlete Award winner during his playing days at UCLA. He played for the No. 1 ranked Bruins under 19-time NCAA champion head coach Al Scates, and also spent one year on the roster with current Oregon indoor volleyball head coach Trent Kersten.

What They’re Saying
Mike Campbell – Long Beach State Beach Volleyball Head Coach
“It is incredibly bittersweet to see Kristian move on from our program after 11 amazing and successful years. I’m immensely proud and happy for this well-deserved opportunity for him, but also incredibly sad to lose him after the success we have had together and the deep friendship we have built. Kristian has been an invaluable part of our success, and while we'll greatly feel his absence, I'm genuinely so happy for him as he takes on the head coaching job at Oregon. Knowing his talent, his passion, his competitiveness, and his character, I have no doubt he'll do amazing things there for the student athletes, community and University.”

Patty and Mike Dodd – USAV Beach Collegiate National Team Coaches
“Coach Kristian is everything Oregon needs to take the next step forward with beach volleyball. His knowledge, strategic mind, teaching skills, and competitive drive make him the perfect fit. We will greatly miss him at MBsand.”

Bryan Gimmillaro – Former Long Beach State Volleyball Head Coach
“I can’t think of any candidate who would be more valuable to any university to lead the program. I hired Kristian during my tenure as the head coach at Long Beach State University. The combination of his knowledge and experience and his relationship with his colleagues and his players will truly benefit everyone.”

Trent Kersten – Oregon Volleyball Head Coach
"Kristian brings a clear vision of athlete development, a strong foundation of how to run a program and deep ties to the beach volleyball community. He is also a proven developer of talent with a track record of success at every level of the sport from the national club scene to the NCAA. Most importantly, he's a thoughtful leader who values the full student-athlete experience and I'm confident he will build a program that reflects the competitive excellence and character we strive for here at Oregon."