MINOT, N.D. – The Beaver volleyball program has its new leader.

Minot State's Associate Director of Athletics for External Operations, Janna McKechnie, is pleased to introduce Josh Wastvedt as the new head coach for the Minot State volleyball team.

"We are very excited to welcome Josh Wastvedt to Minot State University as our next head volleyball coach," McKechnie said. "Josh brings tremendous energy, a strong volleyball background, and a clear vision for building a competitive and positive culture. Throughout the search process, it was clear that he values student-athlete development both on and off the court, and we are confident he will be a great leader for our program."

Wastvedt brings extensive experience as a head coach at the high school and club level, earning honors as a 3-time Coach of the Year in Minnesota who also guided the Mizuno Northern Lights Volleyball club team to a 5^th-place finish at the 2025 AAU National Volleyball Tournament.

Along with his high school and club experience, Wastvedt also spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Bismarck State College, and began his coaching career as a student assistant at Mayville State.

"Being named the head women's volleyball coach at Minot State is truly a dream come true," Wastvedt said. "As someone originally from North Dakota, this opportunity means a great deal to me both personally and professionally. I'm honored to lead this program, excited to work with the student‑athletes, and grateful for the trust the university has placed in me. I can't wait to get started.

"What drew me to this position was the opportunity to lead a program that aligns so closely with who I am as a coach and as a person," he added. "Minot State feels like the right fit — the values, the community, and the vision for the future all resonated with me throughout the interview process. Being able to return to North Dakota, where my roots are, made it even more meaningful. I see tremendous potential here, and I'm excited about the chance to build something special with the student‑athletes and the athletic department."

A 2012 graduate of Mayville State with a degree in Physical Education & Elementary Education, Wastvedt has been the head girls and boys volleyball coach at Burnsville High School in Minnesota since 2019, earning Section 6AAAA Coach of the Year honors in 2021, 2022, and 2024. He guided Burnsville to the state tournament in 2022, the program's first state berth since 2009.

He also built the boys team from scratch at Burnsville HS.

He takes over a Minot State volleyball program that went 3-27 this past season.

"My first priority is building relationships — with the student‑athletes, the staff, the campus, and the community," said Wastvedt, who begins his duties later this month. "I want to get to know the team, understand their experiences, and establish trust right away.

"From there, we'll focus on setting clear expectations, creating consistency in our training, and laying the foundation for a strong team culture. The first few months are about connection, communication, and establishing who we want to be moving forward."

As Wastvedt stated, he is no stranger to North Dakota or its volleyball landscape as he was head coach for Garrison-Max High School from 2017-19 and was a Class B State Coach of the Year Finalist, was head coach at Williston High School from 2012-15, and head coach at Central Valley School from 2009-11, where he was an AVCA National High School Coach of the Year nominee.

He also brings collegiate coaching experience with him, spending two seasons as an assistant coach at Bismarck State, from 2015-16, where he helped guide the Mystics to a Region XIII West Sub-Region Championship and a Region XIII Runner-Up title.

Those experiences as a collegiate coach and in building programs will benefit the Beavers as Wastvedt works toward his long-term goals at Minot State.

"The first step is to establish a strong foundation — clear expectations, consistent training habits, and a connected team culture," Minot State's new coach said. "We'll focus on fundamentals, ball control, and competitive practice standards that help us grow quickly, while at the same time, being intentional about building relationships and recruiting student‑athletes who fit our values and want to represent Minot State with pride. We want to create a hardworking, unified program that enjoys the journey, competes hard, and represents Minot State the right way.

"In the first season, the goal is to establish our identity — how we train, how we compete, and how we carry ourselves on and off the court. We want to be a team that plays with pride, grit, and joy," Wastvedt added. "Long term, the vision is to build a consistently competitive program within the NSIC, one that develops strong student‑athletes, attracts high‑character recruits, and becomes a positive representative of both the University and the community. We want to create something sustainable, something that lasts."