Jennifer Houk - Volleyball Coach - University of Minnesota Athletics

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Jennifer Houk

Position:
Video Coordinator
Alma Mater:
Colorado State, 2010
Twitter:
@jenni_houk
Instagram:
@jen.houk1
Email:
jennih@umn.edu

Jenni Houk completed her fifth year with the Minnesota volleyball program in 2022, including her first year as an assistant coach. Houk joined the Gopher volleyball staff after being the head coach at South Dakota School of Mines. She was promoted to assistant coach/recruiting coordinator in the spring of 2022.

Houk played a key role in helping the Gophers finish 22-9 (15-5 Big Ten) in 2022. The team has made five Sweet 16's, an Elite Eight and a Final Four in her five years in Minneapolis. She coached six All-Big Ten honorees in 2022, including Big Ten Player of the Year Taylor Landfair and fellow First Team All-Big Ten selections Melani Shaffmaster and Carter Booth. Graduate libero CC McGraw earned second team honors while Booth and outside Mckenna Wucherer were Big Ten All-Freshman Team selections.

In her first year as recruiting coordinator, Houk paved the way in landing consensus top-60 recruits Calisssa Minatee and Sydney Schnichels to anchor an excellent 2023 recruiting class.

Prior to her SD Mines helm, Houk spent the 2016 season as Illinois' director of volleyball operations. Houk joined Illini volleyball after a three-year stint at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she was an assistant coach with the Redhawks volleyball team, followed by moving into an administrative assistant role with the business office. While at Miami (OH), she earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) 30 Under 30 Award and was also given the Miami Pride Award. In May of 2014, Houk moved to the Redhawks business office, where she worked as the primary point of contact for nine sports, sports medicine and the marketing department and also served on the Council of Diversity and Inclusion for the university senate and the Classified Personnel Advisory Committee.

Houk served as an assistant coach at Maryland Baltimore County in 2012. She also has experience with the U.S. Women's National Volleyball team, where she was a technical assistant in 2011 and served as an intern in the summer of 2010.

During her professional career, Houk has multiple years of experience working as a head and assistant coach for the Borderline Volleyball Club, T-Street Volleyball Club, Colorado North Starts, Grand Valley High School and Premier Volleyball Club.

Houk started her playing career at Northeastern Junior College (Colo.) in 2003, before transferring to Colorado State for her senior season in 2006. She earned her bachelor's degree in animal science from CSU. Following her playing career, Houk served as an interim assistant coach and technical coordinator for the Rams. She is currently working on a master's degree in sport leadership and management.

She lives in Bloomington, Minn., with her husband, Matt, also on the volleyball staff, and three stepchildren, Jaeden, Cole and Jorie.