Coaching is an essential aspect for all levels of sports, whether it is high school, college or professional. A rarity in the world of coaching is a team – specifically a college team – with young adults who has a coach that is the antithesis of the stereotypical old, traditional coach.
Not every program in the country has coaches within its staff that are, at maximum, 10 years older than the players on the team.
LSU has three of them.
Assistant coaches Ethan Pheister and Sarah Rumely, along with volunteer coach and former LSU standout Tania Schatow all graduated less than a decade ago and now work under coach Fran Flory.
The volleyball program has a splash of youth on its bench that gives the team another element in terms of receiving information and tips in a different way.
“For us, the timing was right for us to have an insurgence of youth,” Flory said. “Sarah, Tania and Ethan are not very far off of their playing careers. They had very successful playing careers ,and they’re credible. They understand exactly what it takes to be successful in our league and successful nationally.”
Having youthful minds on the staff that comes with an understanding of how to win, and winning consistently provides the team with something every squad around the country does not have.
Each assistant coaches specializes in bringing something different to the team, increasing the coaching intangibles on the staff.
Pheister is the analytical mind of the staff. In his second season with the Tigers, Pheister works mainly with the setters. 
“He brings a statistical analysis to the game that not many young people have,” Flory said. “He does a really great job at creating a game plan and putting our kids in the best position to win.”
Rumely spent two years as the recruiting coordinator for Arkansas before joining the LSU volleyball program. 
“She brings a tenacity and a feel to the game that is fresh and light,” Flory said. “It’s a game and it’s enjoyable, but it’s important and she helps everybody balance that.”
Schatow, the final piece of the puzzle, played for LSU from 2007-10. 
“Adding Tania this year, someone who has been a part of our program and understands the culture that our program was built on,” Flory said. “She was built on one of the best runs we ever had and her delivery is amazing. She’s young, but she is already an outstanding coach.”
Their ability as coaches have shined through multiple aspects of the season and have earned Flory’s respect and trust. At many points within games throughout the season, Flory has handed the reigns over to her assistants to have the control to put their stamps on the game and communicate a great deal to the players during timeouts and on the court.
“They’ve sat on that bench just like our kids are doing now,” Flory said. “In our matches, I give the coaches a lot of freedom to talk in timeouts. I would specifically say, ‘This is your time out.’ They understand what needs to be delivered and how it needs to be delivered for our team to respond.“
Rumely explained what having ample coaches as young as she is on the team can really be a luxury for the Tigers.
“I can remember what it was like when it was October and we had a lot of tests and volleyball,” Rumely said. “Putting myself in their situation and knowing how they feel is definitely easier. It helps having someone a little bit close in age. [It] provides a different mentorship because you can relate because it’s not that far off since you were doing it.”
The coaches aim to find a balance between implementing a more fresh and lively way of relaying information to the players, while keeping the more conventional style of coaching with Flory.
“The best part about our staff is that we balance each other,” Flory said. “It is important that everyone is not on top of the players at every minute. There needs to be some balance to delivery, and I think our staff does a great job of that.”
With the pressures that exist in the life of the a student-athlete, having the calming presence of younger coaches can be a stress-reliever for the players.
Younger coaches have the tendency to empathize players because it is a lifestyle they lived not too long ago.
“I think the world of college athletics have evolved so much,” Rumely said. “In recent years, even when I was playing, it was a bit more softer than it is now just with the time demands and what it was like to be a college athlete. They could come to me because I did it. I played in the SEC, and I have a pretty good idea of what they are going through because I did it myself.”
Having younger coaches to help guide college student-athletes down the same path they traveled not too long ago is a luxury for any coaching staff.
With the Tigers having three, they hope to use this advantage as they develop into the team they want to be and reach their set goals.