Leadership Transition For Beach Volleyball
September 12, 2025 | Beach Volleyball
SEATTLE – Washington Director of Athletics Pat Chun has accepted the resignation of Husky Beach Volleyball coach Derek Olson, who is leaving to pursue another opportunity. Steve McFadden, in his fourth season at Washington, will serve as the Interim Head Coach for the entirety of the 2025-26 season.
McFadden has helped lead the Beach Dawgs to year-end Top-20 national rankings in each of his three seasons in Seattle. He was the assistant coach on the 2024 team that broke through to the first NCAA tournament in program history, as UW earned the 13-seed at NCAAs and became the northernmost team ever to qualify for NCAAs.
His first season at UW in 2023 was highlighted by UW's first All-Americans in program history, Chloe Loreen and Natalie Robinson, who were named to the First Team.
Prior to coming to Washington, McFadden spent three seasons at Florida International as an assistant coach, helping the Panthers maintain a constant presence in the national Top-20 rankings. In his first full season in 2021, FIU went 25-7 including a huge upset over No. 3 Florida State, finishing the season ranked No. 15.
In 2022, the Panthers were 22-11 overall and finished the year ranked 16th, posting upsets over top-10 teams Georgia State and Florida Atlantic. All told, FIU was 55-19 during McFadden's time in Miami.
McFadden coached multiple All-Americans at FIU. Giada Bianchi and Paige Kalkhoff were named to the AVCA Second Team in 2022. In 2021, Federica Frasca and Roberta Ribeiro were both named First Team All-Americans.
In 2021, McFadden was tabbed as an Assistant Coach for the USA Volleyball Beach National Team Development Program, where he has coached both boys and girls who aspire to play internationally for the USA. In June of 2023, he was named as one of the coaches for the USA Volleyball Beach Collegiate National Team, working with the men's selections at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center.
Prior to FIU, McFadden coached four seasons at Laguna Beach High School, serving as Head Coach from 2017-2019. The Breakers were runners up in the California state championship twice, and won the IBVL Pairs championship twice.
McFadden has helped lead the Beach Dawgs to year-end Top-20 national rankings in each of his three seasons in Seattle. He was the assistant coach on the 2024 team that broke through to the first NCAA tournament in program history, as UW earned the 13-seed at NCAAs and became the northernmost team ever to qualify for NCAAs.
His first season at UW in 2023 was highlighted by UW's first All-Americans in program history, Chloe Loreen and Natalie Robinson, who were named to the First Team.
Prior to coming to Washington, McFadden spent three seasons at Florida International as an assistant coach, helping the Panthers maintain a constant presence in the national Top-20 rankings. In his first full season in 2021, FIU went 25-7 including a huge upset over No. 3 Florida State, finishing the season ranked No. 15.
In 2022, the Panthers were 22-11 overall and finished the year ranked 16th, posting upsets over top-10 teams Georgia State and Florida Atlantic. All told, FIU was 55-19 during McFadden's time in Miami.
McFadden coached multiple All-Americans at FIU. Giada Bianchi and Paige Kalkhoff were named to the AVCA Second Team in 2022. In 2021, Federica Frasca and Roberta Ribeiro were both named First Team All-Americans.
In 2021, McFadden was tabbed as an Assistant Coach for the USA Volleyball Beach National Team Development Program, where he has coached both boys and girls who aspire to play internationally for the USA. In June of 2023, he was named as one of the coaches for the USA Volleyball Beach Collegiate National Team, working with the men's selections at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center.
Prior to FIU, McFadden coached four seasons at Laguna Beach High School, serving as Head Coach from 2017-2019. The Breakers were runners up in the California state championship twice, and won the IBVL Pairs championship twice.
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