Karen Chisum
Hometown: San Marcos, TX
Sport: Tennis,Softball
Years Played: 1968-1972,1968-1970
Hall of Honor Induction: 1994One of only 11 active Division I head coaches in NCAA volleyball to eclipse the 625-win plateau, Karen Chisum returns for her 28th season at the helm of the Bobcat volleyball program.
As Chisum continues to climb on the coaching-wins ledger on the Bobcat bench, Texas State will go for its third-straight tournament title and NCAA appearance, while striving for its second regular season SLC title in three years.
Chisum, a Texas State alumnus, has compiled a 631-408-3 record, currently ranking her tenth among active Division-I coaches for career wins. Chisum became one of only 16 active coaches at the time to hit the 550 mark in 2003, and on Sept. 2, 2005, Chisum's `Cats earned her career win No. 600, a three-game opening-day sweep over Morgan State.
Under her lead, Texas State has captured five regular season conference titles, winning the Gulf Star Conference crown in 1986, and SLC titles in 1991, 2000, 2003 and 2004.
Chisum also led the `Cats to SLC Tournament titles in 1991, 1998, 2004 and 2005. The 2005 squad earned the fifth trip to the NCAA tournament in school history.
Chisum's squad won the Gulf Star Conference Tournament title in 1986. Chisum was voted by her peers as the 2003 Southland Conference Coach of the Year, marking her fourth selection, receiving the same honor in 1986, 1991, and 2000.
2005 also marked the first back-to-back Bobcat trips to the NCAA's in school history, with two straight trips to Gregory Gym in Austin, Texas, for the NCAA Tournament's first round.
Since joining the Southland Conference in 1987, Chisum has guided Texas State to a top-three finish in the final regular season standings in all but six seasons. For four consecutive years, from 1988 thru `92, the `Cats played in the championship match of the SLC Tournament.
Chisum has coached more than 47 All-Conference performers with the Bobcats, including 46 All-Southland Conference selectees over the last 17 years. Fourteen Bobcats have earned first-team All-SLC honors in Chisum's tenure at Texas State.
Among the All-Conference performers coached by Chisum were three Conference Player of the Year selections, Kim Wells-Lauwers (Gulf Star) in 1986, Stephanie Winn-Lane (Southland) in 1991 and Shenequa Bedford (Southland) in 2000.
Chisum has also guided three Newcomer of the Year honorees, as Kristy Braun-Rioux won the honor in 1991, Krisha Neimann-Crosley in 1993 and Jennifer Dallao in 1999.
Several of Texas State's All-Conference performers garnered the honor in multiple seasons. In 1997, Crosley became only the fourth player in Southland Conference history, and the first Bobcat to earn All-Conference honors all four years. She was a first-team selectee as a freshman and sophomore and a second-team pick as a junior and senior.
Texas State's Krystal Kolkhorst set a new precedent under Chisum by being named the first-ever SLC Setter of the Year in 2004, and a year later the Bobcats marked another back-to-back feat, as Elizabeth Nwoke was named SLC Tournament MVP in 2005, following Kolkhorst in 2004.
As proud as she is of past-post season honors for accomplishments on the court, Chisum says that it is as equally important that her players excel in the classroom and as a citizen.
"I tell them that if they are struggling with what to do in a situation, look in the mirror and ask, is it the right thing to do?"
"Another thing I stress to my players is to surround yourself with good people. I have been successful in my life and career because I have surrounded myself with good people - my family, my friends, my staff. It's so important that they put themselves in situations that they are in control of, and you do that by surrounding yourself with the right people," Chisum said.
Chisum's devotion to academic matters is evidenced by the accomplishments of a number of her past and present players.
"I'm extremely proud of the 2004-05 student athletes who did a tremendous job in the classroom, as well as on the court," Chisum said. "Not only did they win SLC championship rings, they earned the Emmitt Shelton Award with a 3.23 team GPA."
A total of 29 Bobcats have earned SLC All-Academic Team honors 46 times under Chisum's direction, including Karry Griffin's First-Team honor in 2005. In 2004, Kolkhorst earned the league's Scholar Athlete of the Year award.
As a squad, the volleyball team has won the Emmitt Shelton Academic Excellence Award three times, including in the 2005-06 school year. The award is presented to the top Texas State athletic squad, both male and female, achieving the top cumulative grade point average.
Chisum's involvement in volleyball began when she was an assistant at San Marcos Goodnight Middle School. While at Goodnight, Chisum increased her knowledge of the game and began to formulate her own coaching style while learning from head coach Lucy Worley.
Chisum moved up in the coaching ranks when she took a position under Ruth Munk at San Marcos High School, and then became head coach at New Braunfels High School. Chisum led the Unicorns to a Class 3-A State Runner-Up finish in 1976, coaching Nell Fortner, former Texas volleyball and basketball standout and former head coach of the WNBA's Indianapolis Fever and current Head Coach at Auburn.
In 1980, Chisum was on the move again as she took over for Chris Mayhew as Texas State's fourth head volleyball coach. Chisum credits former Texas State volleyball coach and Women's Athletic Coordinator Karen Fredenberg with helping her make the transition from coaching at the high school level to the college ranks.
"She was a great influence on me and I admired and respected the way she worked with her players and staff," Chisum said.
Chisum's influence in volleyball reaches far beyond Texas State. She serves as a member of both the NCAA and American Volleyball Coaches Association voting committees for regional and national rankings. She has also been a teaching clinician for various volleyball programs and camps throughout the United States.
In 1994, Chisum became the first female to be accepted for membership in the "T" Association's Hall of Honor. During her intercollegiate days at Texas State, Chisum played on the softball and tennis squads. Induction into the Hall of Honor is the highest award a letterwinner at Texas State can receive.
"It was a great honor and a personal highlight for me," reflected Chisum on her induction.
"The two major reasons why people are chosen to receive the honor closely parallel how I feel about Texas State," Chisum said. "Either you are recognized for your performance as a student-athlete or for what you have accomplished since graduation.
"I am proud to be affiliated with a group like that. Now, as the first female inductee, I am proud to open the door for other women. I've always been inspired by people who give back to the University."
She also co-authored a book with former Bobcat volleyball player, Stephanie Scott Jordan. The book is titled Developing a Successful Volleyball Program.