Michael Brunsting - Volleyball Coach - University of Washington Athletics

Arizona

Sep 12 (Fri)

7:00 PM

Michael Brunsting

Title:
Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator
Email:
mbrunsti@uw.edu

Coach Brunsting Q&A

Michael Brunsting joined Leslie Gabriel’s Washington Volleyball staff as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator in February of 2023 after rising through the ranks of club and collegiate coaching. A former letterwinner at UC San Diego, Brunsting competed for seven years on the AVP beach tour while transitioning into coaching.

Brunsting orchestrates the Husky offensive game plans and works closely with the setters. In the summer of 2024, Husky setter Molly Wilson was chosen for the U.S. Collegiate National Team that trained with and competed against the U.S. Olympic Team in its run-up to the Paris Olympics.

Brunsting’s coaching path to Seattle started as a volunteer assistant at UCLA in the 2021 spring season, which led to a full-time assistant coach at William & Mary in the fall of 2021, and then to Utah State in 2022. Both the Aggies in 2022 and Bruins in spring ’21 advanced to the NCAA Championships with Brunsting on staff, and Brunsting most recently helped the Huskies return to the NCAA tournament in 2024, in his second year in Seattle.

Get to know Coach Brunsting and what inspires him as a mentor. We're lucky to have him! ??#PointHuskies pic.twitter.com/5AOQJWhnRX
— Washington Volleyball (@UWVolleyball) June 12, 2024

"I am very excited to welcome Michael Brunsting as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Washington," said Coach Gabriel upon Brunsting's hiring. "Mike's passion for the game and developing student-athletes, combined with his drive and volleyball IQ make him a great fit for our staff and program. His character and values align with those of our program, and I know that Mike and his family will have a major impact here on Montlake."

In two seasons at Washington, Brunsting has helped the Huskies rebuild quickly after graduating a huge class of seven the year prior to his arrival. Washington posted a winning record in year one, going 16-15, then in year two, the Dawgs returned to the NCAA tournament improving to 19-12 overall and picking up the program's first ranked wins since 2022, upsetting No. 10 Oregon, and No. 14 Minnesota. Washington's assists per set went from 11.01 in Brunsting's first year to 11.96 in year two.

At Utah State in 2022, Brunsting helped the Aggies post a 22-11 record and capture the Mountain West Conference tournament title. Utah State advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2010. The Aggies ranked second in the Mountain West with 1.75 aces per set, and third in assists per set (12.58) and kills per set (13.43).

A native of Poway, Calif., Brunsting attended UC San Diego from 2011-2014, playing setter and opposite. Brunsting was named the Tritons Most Valuable Player his senior year in 2014. He left the UCSD program ranking seventh in career assists (1,759) and fourth in aces (71), adding 414 digs, 331 kills and 122 blocks. Off the court, Brunsting was a three-time MPSF All-Academic selection.

Brunsting began coaching in 2016 as an assistant at Irvine Valley College before coaching at the high school and club levels, working at Orange Coast Volleyball Club.

From 2014-20, Brunsting was a regular on the AVP Beach Tour where he collected 11 top-10 finishes across 35 tournaments.

Brunsting and his wife, Nicole, have two sons, Atticus and Briggs.

The University of Washington volleyball team plays Oregon State on October 27, 2023. (Photography by Scott Eklund/Red Box Pictures)