Title IX: Jen Flynn Oldenburg
4/25/2023 10:00:00 AM | General, Title IX
Jen Flynn Oldenburg has extended her Ohio State volleyball legacy beyond her accomplishments as a student-athlete as she now leads the program to new heights as its head coach.
Oldenburg is the program's sixth head coach in its 52 years of existence, taking the reins on Jan. 17, 2020 – just months before the global COVID-19 pandemic hit. Despite being physically separated from her new team, Oldenburg began to build the culture that Buckeye nation has grown to love over the past few seasons. Due to the pandemic, the 2020 season (Oldenburg's inaugural season as head coach) was moved to the spring of 2021 when the Buckeyes won their first 12 matches and finished 16-4 overall. Oldenburg was named Big Ten Coach of the Year and led the Buckeyes to the Sweet 16.
In three seasons as the program's head coach, Oldenburg has guided Ohio State to three Sweet 16 appearances and pushed it one step further in 2022 with the program's fourth Elite Eight appearance (first since 2004). Student-athletes have earned eight AVCA All-American nods over just three seasons of Oldenburg's leadership.
In the fall of 2021, the Buckeyes hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Columbus for the first time since 2015 and the first time ever in the Covelli Center. Ohio State concluded the season with a 27-6 record and a 15-5 mark in Big Ten matches, earning five ranked wins and concluding the regular season on a seven-match win streak. Ohio State spent 14-consecutive weeks in the AVCA top-10, which is a program record, with the previous record being 10-straight weeks in the top-10 in 2004.
In the fall of 2022, Ohio State wrapped up the season with a 22-10 record and went 15-5 in conference play, earning nine ranked wins and stringing together a 14-match win streak. The Buckeyes were ranked in the AVCA top-10 for the entire season for the first time in program history, outdoing their record set in 2021. Ohio State once again earned the opportunity to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament in Covelli. For the first time in program history, Ohio State had student-athletes named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Setter of the Year.
Not only is Oldenburg a strong coach, but she's also an individual that stands up for her beliefs. In June 2020, Oldenburg was selected to join the Big Ten's Equality Coalition as one of eight Ohio State representatives. The goal of the Coalition is to seek tangible ways to actively and constructively combat racism and hate around the world while also empowering student-athletes to express their rights to free speech and peaceful protest.
Oldenburg graduated from Ohio State in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in sport and leisure studies and spent the 2001 season on staff as a volunteer assistant coach for the Buckeyes. During her time on the court from 1996-99, she recorded 3,213 career assists (8th) and 1,138 digs (14th) to secure her place in the program's history book. She handed out 1,587 assists during the 1997 campaign to check in at No. 4 among OSU's single-season leaders.
Oldenburg led Ohio State to four-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and was the first conference player to be named All-Big Ten at two different positions (setter and outside hitter). In the classroom, she received OSU Scholar-Athlete laurels every year and was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
Following her undergraduate career, Oldenburg went on to be the starting setter for the USA National Team and led the squad to a silver medal at the 2002 World Championship. She also started for the Grand Rapids Force (USPV) and played on the USPV "Dream Team," starting at setter for the Millennium Cup Champion USPV All-Stars, where she was named to the all-tournament team.
Oldenburg returned to her Buckeye roots in 2019 when she joined former Ohio State head coach Jim Stone's staff as an assistant coach for the USA Volleyball Girls Youth National Team. She helped coach the U18 team to a world championship title in Cairo, Egypt, securing the first gold medal for a U.S. age-group team at that event.
Oldenburg and her husband, Steve, have two children – Maverick and Kassidy.
