Hirt stepping down as Glenwood volleyball coach

Glenwood’s most successful volleyball coach in school history will not return next season.

Chelsey Hirt, who led the Rams to a record of 96-45, the school’s only state tournament berths and only Hawkeye 10 Conference title in her four years at the helm, tendered her resignation last week. She and her husband, Jordan, are expecting their first child in May and Hirt felt like the timing was right to step down now. The Rams’ offseason conditioning program is set to begin June 1.

The decision wasn’t an easy one for Hirt, 27, who took over the Rams’ program as the fifth coach in seven years and turned them into a powerhouse. She said the decision was the hardest she’s had to make as a coach, one she’s struggled with the end of last season, but she’s confident it’s the right one.

“I was like ‘No, I can do this, I can make this work and balance this all out and I have tons of support,’” she said. “But as it got closer, I realized I’m due May 6 and that’s three weeks before things get going. I just started feeling bad if a player needed me and I had to be at home and I couldn’t be there for them. That broke my heart for the program. I also didn’t want to feel emotionally torn.”

Hirt met with her team and broke the news Thursday morning. Emotions were high on both sides.

“My biggest thing was I’m due May 6 and pre-season begins June 1 and with that I didn’t feel I’d be able to give the program and the team what it needs and deserves,” she said. “I’d be spreading myself pretty thin raising a newborn and trying to get the volleyball team back to the state tournament. The girls deserve someone who can be there to start with them right away to get them where they need to be. I think it took me humbling myself to allow them have the best opportunity they could have.”

As hard as it was to step down, Hirt feels the culture is there for continued success, whoever takes over coaching duties. She feels like she’s leaving the program on better footing than she found it. The Rams were 10-21 the year before she took over. They finished last season at the state tournament with a school-record 32 wins.

“I’m confident in these girls and the senior class coming back next year, they’re going to be able to keep this program where it needs to be,” she said. “The seniors have state tournament showings and they have that to drive them. In our meeting, I told them to listen to the new coach, trust that coach and be humble with that coach and allow them to teach them things maybe I couldn’t.

“It’s not always easy for a new coach to come into a program so their goal is to get to the tournament again.”
Glenwood Activities Director Jeff Bissen, who gave Hirt her first head coaching job when he hired in 2017, is sorry to see the coach go.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the job Coach Hirt did over the last four years with our volleyball program,” he said. “She and her staff have raised the bar for Glenwood volleyball and have had many firsts in program history, the back to back state tournament appearances and a Hawkeye 10 Conference Championship.”

Bissen is already actively seeking a new coach to replace Hirt, which he knows won’t be easy.

“We lost three great seniors from last year’s state tournament team but return a great nucleus of girls and have very strong lower levels of volleyball in Glenwood,” Bissen said. “This is a very attractive volleyball job in a great school district and community.”