Matt Botsford currently serves as the Director of Volleyball for the beach program, a position he transitioned into in January 2020 after spending the previous six years as head coach. He is also in his eighth year as head coach of the indoor program.

During his six-year tenure as the head coach of the beach program, Botsford improved or steadied the beach program's win total each season. In fact, after two wins in the inaugural campaign, he doubled that win total in his second season and grew the program to 11 wins in 2016, 15 each of the next two years and a single-season record 18 in 2019 - all four of which either tied or set new records for most wins in a season.

Prior to Covid-19 shortening the 2020 season, FGCU won a single-season record 18 matches in 2019 while tallying a program-record four wins in the postseason and nearly stunning No. 8 Stetson in the ASUN championship match.
 
The sophomore duo of Snowy Burnam and Kayla Whetstone had a banner year, setting a new single-season wins record before finishing 24-5. Along the way, they were named First Team All-ASUN and earned a spot on the ASUN’s all-tournament team. Following that, the AVCA presented them with the Top Flight Award for finishing fifth in the nation in winning percentage at the No. 3 pair.
 
Karissa Rhoades and Katie Puisis closed their collegiate careers in record-breaking fashion. The duo finished with a career-high 20 wins and became the program’s first-ever three-time all-conference honorees with their second team selection. Meanwhile, Rhoades became the program’s all-time wins leader with 61, just ahead of Puisis in second with 57. Another senior, Amanda Carroll, finished third in career wins with 50 and made the conference’s all-academic team.

The team’s freshmen also stepped up in a big way. Kirstine Garder teamed with Carroll at the No. 1 pair and went 18-11, which broke the program’s freshman wins record. Emma Hansen went 8-5 overall, including a 3-2 record at the No. 4 pair while teaming with Borgiotti in the ASUN tournament. Camryn Bossinas also saw action in nearly every match on the exhibition court.

LOOKING BACK
The Eagles won a then program-record 15 matches for the second consecutive season in 2018. On top of that, the team went a program-best 7-3 in ASUN play. Rhoades and Puisis broke the program's then single season wins record with 17. Senior Ashley Glickert teamed with Borgiotti to win a then program record eight consecutive matches at No. 3 to finish the year, set a program record with a 9-1 conference season and tally 16 wins overall.

The No. 4 pair of Kayla Whetstone and Snowy Burnam won a then freshman record 16 matches and were both named to the ASUN’s All-Freshmen team. Senior Mackenzie Allen teamed with Carroll to tie a career-high with 12 wins at the No. 1 pair. The team also captured the program's first win over a ranked opponent, while Burnam became just the second student-athlete in NCAA history to win her conference's freshman of the year award in both indoor and beach volleyball. Borgiotti and Glickert each earned a spot on the ASUN Championship all-tournament team.
 
In 2017, Botsford's squad produced one of its most successful seasons ever at 15-9, with the win total representing the most in program history. The Eagles earned a trip to the finals of the ASUN Championship after downing North Florida and Mercer, but fell to nationally-ranked Stetson in the championship match. The second-place ASUN finish tied a program-best, while Madi Wilcox and Leigh Pudwill both made the all-tournament team.
 
Following the season, three Eagles earned postseason recognition from the conference as the No. 3 duo of Rhoades and Puisis were named First Team All-ASUN, while Borgiotti earned a spot on the conference’s all-freshman squad.

Botsford’s squad led the program to its first 10-win season in 2016 by compiling an 11-8 record. The Eagles defeated Coastal Carolina and North Florida in the ASUN Championship before falling to North Florida in the loser’s bracket final and finishing in third place. Madi Wilcox and Elisa Anne Aldrich earned a spot on the all-tournament team, while Aldrich was named to the conference’s all-freshmen team.

Botsford’s initial campaign included a pair of wins, although the team had many closes losses as shown in seven 3-2 defeats. In his second season, the team lost its first nine matches, but won four of its final six matches and has continued that momentum ever since.

PRIOR TO FGCU
Botsford, who played at Tri-State University (now Trine University) from 1995-98, served as an assistant coach at five different collegiate institutions, with the most recent occurring as an assistant at Colorado State University from May 2012 to February 2014. While there, he helped lead the Rams to two consecutive conference championships and NCAA Tournament berths. On top of that, the program also recorded a program-best 27 consecutive wins in 2013.
  
Prior to his time at Colorado State, Botsford served as an assistant coach at Notre Dame, Miami, IUPUI and the University of Indianapolis. Furthermore, he served as an interim head coach at his alma mater at the age of 21 and has international and national coaching experience.
 
Botsford was the lead recruiter at Notre Dame from February 2008 until July 2011, and his 2010 and 2011 classes were ranked 13th and 15th, respectively, in the nation by media outlets. The Fighting Irish advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2009 after winning the Big East title and going undefeated through the conference schedule (14-0). In total, he coached two All-Americans and six All-Big East performers – including the 2010 Big East Freshman of the Year Andrea McHugh – during his time in South Bend.
 
Prior to his three plus years at Notre Dame, Botsford cultivated relationships with players and coaches throughout Florida as he served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Miami for nearly four years from June 2004 to February 2008. He helped solidify two of the highest-ranked recruiting classes in the relatively short history of the program, signing at least one top-100 rated player in each of his final three years and the first top-50 recruit for the Hurricanes.
 
During his time with Miami, Botsford coached two All-Americans and five All-ACC players. In addition, he recruited Lane Carico, who was named the 2011 ACC Player of the Year. Carico supplemented a core group of starters Botsford recruited which led Miami to three straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
 
Botsford got his start in coaching by serving as the interim head coach for both the men’s and women’s volleyball programs at Tri-State from November 1998 through June 1999. He parlayed his experience in those roles into an assistant position at the University of Indianapolis where he was for one year (June 1999 - May 2000). His final stop before heading to the University of Miami was as an assistant at IUPUI from May 2001 until June 2004, coaching two-time Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Year Rebekah Pallikan.
 
Outside of the collegiate landscape, Botsford also has a vast array of experience. In the year between his stints at Notre Dame and Colorado State, he was the head coach of Lindesberg Volley as part of Sweden’s Elite Series, leading the club to a first-ever league title and automatic representation in European Cup play. While with Lindesberg Volley from August 2011 through May 2012, he coached four players who went on to play for Sweden’s National Team.
 
The foray into Sweden wasn’t the first for Botsford as he played professionally with the Vingaker Volleyball Club in the country in 2002-03, the final of his three professional stints. In the collegiate offseason he also played from 1998-2003 on beach tours with both the MPVA and the EVP, the latter of which named him the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2000.
 
Botsford was selected as an assistant coach for the 2007 USA Select Program, which trains elite volleyball players in preparation for the U.S. National Team. In his one year as part of the program, Botsford guided his team to a bronze medal in the HP Global Championships as the head coach of the USA Silver team.

PERSONAL
A 1998 graduate from Tri-State with a degree in social studies education and a minor in general science, Botsford was a two-year captain who graduated as the program’s all-time leader in kills, digs and blocks and was named an All-American Scholar Athlete as a senior. In 2006, he was inducted into the Tri-State Hall of Fame.

Botsford, who received a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Indianapolis in 2004, resides in Estero with his wife, Lindsey. Together, they have a daughter, Harper, and a son, Cache.

UPDATED: 7/16/21