University Southern California Trojans
Photo by: Kevin Kim
USC Women's Volleyball Hires Denise Corlett as Director of Player Development
October 13, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
The incomparable former Stanford coach takes an interim role as the Trojans’ first-ever Director of Player Development
LOS ANGELES – USC women's volleyball has announced the hire of Denise Corlett in an interim role to become the program's first-ever Director of Player Development, interim head coach Megan Moenoa announced on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
A former U.S. National Team player, a nine-time NCAA champion assistant coach, and one of volleyball's most respected minds, Corlett spent 31 years at Stanford as an interim head coach, an associate head coach and an assistant coach. In 2019, she completed her 24th year as associate head coach and her 31st overall on staff. She is a two-time AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year (2010, '12).
The Cardinal was 875-146 (.857) during her association with the program and won an unprecedented nine NCAA championships and 18 Pac-12 crowns. The Cardinal twice won three NCAA titles in a four-year span during her tenure (1994,1996-97, and 2016, 2018-19). The conference titles included six in a row between 1994 and 1999 and 10 in her final 14 years on The Farm. At Stanford, she coached in 14 NCAA championship matches, helped lead the team to 17 national semifinal appearances, and guided 38 players to 93 AVCA All-America awards.
Prior to arriving at Stanford, Corlett served as an assistant coach at San Jose State during the 1987 and 1988 seasons. With her on staff, the Spartans went 42-24 and reached the NCAA tournament twice. Before her tenure at SJSU, Corlett spent five years at UCLA, her alma mater. There, Corlett served as a graduate assistant for two years and a volunteer assistant for three seasons, helping the Bruins to the 1985 Final Four. She also has experience as the business manager for the U.S. Women's National Team.
Corlett received a bachelor's degree in mathematics from UCLA in 1981. As a collegian, Corlett played three varsity sports and was named the All-University Athlete of the Year in 1979. She won the Broderick Award and was the 1977 the national badminton champion. Corlett was a three-time All-American in volleyball and played on the Bruins' national championship women's basketball team. She led her USVBA team to national championships in both 1978 and 1979, played for the U.S. in the 1979 University Games in Mexico City and was a member of the U.S. National Team in 1982 and 1983.
In 1997, she was selected as one of the top 25 players in UCLA women's volleyball history and, in 1999, was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame for volleyball, basketball, and badminton with a class that included track and field great Gail Devers and football quarterback Troy Aikman. In 2005, Corlett was named to the Cal-Hi Sports Top 100 Female Athletes list. In 2091, she was inducted into the Southern California Indoor Volleyball Hall of Fame.
USC (8-8, 2-4 Big Ten) returns home to host Ohio State (9-7, 2-4 Big Ten) and 15th-ranked Penn State (12-4, 4-2) at Galen Center this weekend. The Trojans and the Buckeyes will meet on Friday (Oct. 16) at 7 p.m. PT and be shown live on FS1 while the USC-Penn State match on Saturday (Oct. 17) is set for a 4 p.m. start and will be carried by Big Ten Network. The Trojans and the Nittany Lions will meet as part of the Big Ten Discover Volleyball Challenge. The Saturday bout is also USC's alumnae match and the Dig Pink match.
For more information on the USC women's volleyball team, please visit USCTrojans.com/WVB. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
A former U.S. National Team player, a nine-time NCAA champion assistant coach, and one of volleyball's most respected minds, Corlett spent 31 years at Stanford as an interim head coach, an associate head coach and an assistant coach. In 2019, she completed her 24th year as associate head coach and her 31st overall on staff. She is a two-time AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year (2010, '12).
The Cardinal was 875-146 (.857) during her association with the program and won an unprecedented nine NCAA championships and 18 Pac-12 crowns. The Cardinal twice won three NCAA titles in a four-year span during her tenure (1994,1996-97, and 2016, 2018-19). The conference titles included six in a row between 1994 and 1999 and 10 in her final 14 years on The Farm. At Stanford, she coached in 14 NCAA championship matches, helped lead the team to 17 national semifinal appearances, and guided 38 players to 93 AVCA All-America awards.
Prior to arriving at Stanford, Corlett served as an assistant coach at San Jose State during the 1987 and 1988 seasons. With her on staff, the Spartans went 42-24 and reached the NCAA tournament twice. Before her tenure at SJSU, Corlett spent five years at UCLA, her alma mater. There, Corlett served as a graduate assistant for two years and a volunteer assistant for three seasons, helping the Bruins to the 1985 Final Four. She also has experience as the business manager for the U.S. Women's National Team.
Corlett received a bachelor's degree in mathematics from UCLA in 1981. As a collegian, Corlett played three varsity sports and was named the All-University Athlete of the Year in 1979. She won the Broderick Award and was the 1977 the national badminton champion. Corlett was a three-time All-American in volleyball and played on the Bruins' national championship women's basketball team. She led her USVBA team to national championships in both 1978 and 1979, played for the U.S. in the 1979 University Games in Mexico City and was a member of the U.S. National Team in 1982 and 1983.
In 1997, she was selected as one of the top 25 players in UCLA women's volleyball history and, in 1999, was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame for volleyball, basketball, and badminton with a class that included track and field great Gail Devers and football quarterback Troy Aikman. In 2005, Corlett was named to the Cal-Hi Sports Top 100 Female Athletes list. In 2091, she was inducted into the Southern California Indoor Volleyball Hall of Fame.
USC (8-8, 2-4 Big Ten) returns home to host Ohio State (9-7, 2-4 Big Ten) and 15th-ranked Penn State (12-4, 4-2) at Galen Center this weekend. The Trojans and the Buckeyes will meet on Friday (Oct. 16) at 7 p.m. PT and be shown live on FS1 while the USC-Penn State match on Saturday (Oct. 17) is set for a 4 p.m. start and will be carried by Big Ten Network. The Trojans and the Nittany Lions will meet as part of the Big Ten Discover Volleyball Challenge. The Saturday bout is also USC's alumnae match and the Dig Pink match.
For more information on the USC women's volleyball team, please visit USCTrojans.com/WVB. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow @USCWomensVolley on X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Sunday, October 11
Sunday, October 11
Friday, October 09
Thursday, September 24
