Creighton will have a new Head Volleyball Coach this fall as Kirsten Bernthal has left the program to pursue opportunities outside coaching. Brian Rosen to take over as head coach.
Volleyball’s Rosen Promoted to Replace Booth After 22 Remarkable Years at Creighton
Rob Anderson/Creighton wrote:OMAHA, Neb. – Brian Rosen has been named head coach of the Creighton volleyball program, McCormick Endowed Athletic Director Marcus Blossom announced on Sunday, April 6. Rosen replaces Kirsten Bernthal Booth, who after 22 remarkable seasons is resigning to pursue opportunities outside of coaching but will remain involved in fundraising efforts for the CU volleyball program.
"While we celebrate the incredible success of Coach Booth, we are excited to continue the tradition of excellence within the Creighton volleyball program with Coach Brian Rosen at the helm," said Blossom. "Brian is a tireless worker, nationally respected recruiter, and in-game tactician. He is a great teammate and has been an integral part of our success since his arrival in 2022. I believe we will reach new heights in every aspect of our program and I'm certain our passionate Bluejay fans will continue to enjoy watching our exceptional student-athletes this fall and into the future under his leadership."
Pretty shocking. Just recently at a spring match, she seemed to still love her coaching job and was upbeat about the upcoming season. It is hard to imagine Creighton's volleyball team without Coach Booth. Maybe we'll learn more in this morning's press conference at 9:30.
Greg S wrote: Mon Apr 07, 2025 9:55 am
I just wonder if there's more to this.
She did mention later in the press conference that the offer from LOVB had been on the table for a while and then new head coach Brian Rosen was getting high profile job offers. Decided it was a good time where she could had the program over to Brian Rosen and take on a new new challenge. Also mentioned watching her family play.
NIL and the changing college landscape was not part of the decision. "I'm not running away from anything".
Here's a link to twitter which you can use to see the original post from Terry Pettit on Kristen Booth's resignaton. I am also copying the post below.
Terry Pettit wrote:I don't know Creighton's athletic director, Marcus Blossom. As I watched a video of the press conference announcing Kirsten Bernthal Booth's departure from Creighton Volleyball, I wondered if Marcus Blossom knew Kirsten.
Blossom continually referred to her as "Booth." He never made eye contact, and everything he said sounded like it had been taken from a media guide.
ADs are required to have multiple talents. They hire and fire coaches, and some mentor their coaches. They need to raise money for facilities and escalating salaries, and provide a vision for the department in difficult times. But the most important quality in leadership today is how a leader relates to their team.
I didn't see evidence that Marcus Blossom knew Kirsten and what she brought to Creighton University. There were no personal anecdotes, stories, or memories. Maybe he was in shock. Maybe this isn't a talent he has. Or maybe he didn't make the effort to develop a relationship with an extraordinary human on his team.
This press conference could have had other Creighton coaches like men's basketball coach Greg McDermott, women's basketball coach Jim Flannery, or associate head volleyball coach Angie Oxley sharing their appreciation for Kirsten's willingness to share her insight and vulnerability with anyone on the Creighton team.
Leadership is not a position. It is developing relationships with team members that create intimacy, vulnerability, and trust, which can lead to extraordinary success. Kirsten Bernthal Booth did that with everyone on the Creighton women's volleyball team. I did not see any evidence that Marcus Blossom shares that vision of leadership in yesterday's press conference.
Louie wrote: Tue Apr 08, 2025 1:56 pm
That's quite the scathing review of Blossom from Pettit. But it feels like he was inferring quite a whole lot from a single press conference.
It does but I have seen on twitter a lot of speculation that there has been friction between them. And this was before the press conference.
Louie wrote: Tue Apr 08, 2025 1:56 pm
That's quite the scathing review of Blossom from Pettit. But it feels like he was inferring quite a whole lot from a single press conference.
It does but I have seen on twitter a lot of speculation that there has been friction between them. And this was before the press conference.
I would have liked to see two separate press conferences, one for Kirsten's resignation, and one the next day for the promotion of Coach Rosen.
There seems to be some descension within the CU fanbase on Blossom. Don't know if it's true but supposedly his contract ends in August and there hasn't been an extension yet.
It was definitely an exciting back and forth game. Would have loved to see Creighton take down Nebraska, but they put up a very respectable effort nonetheless. Hopefully CU doesn't take the L too hard - the biggest winner last night was volleyball in Nebraska (the state). Two top 20 local teams and a record breaking crowd (again) is a great advertisement for recruiting to show potential players the widespread fan support, a base that elevates the sport as seriously as college football, and pipelines to MLV and LOVB who also boast excellent support.
NCAA tournament tickets went on sale this morning for season ticket holders. Tomorrow they will be available for Jaybackers, and Monday open to the general public if there are any left. Most of the available tickets have been sold already.
Creighton, one of the 3 seeds (10th overall) in the upcoming NCAA tournament, will host Northern Colorado on Thursday with a likely rematch against Coach Booth's daughter and Northern Iowa on Friday.
Creighton just advanced to the Elite 8 against KY, or Cal Poly. Ava Martin was so excited to slap the sticker on the board, she put it on the next round winner...haha.
skinzfan23 wrote: Thu Dec 11, 2025 2:12 pm
Creighton just advanced to the Elite 8 against KY, or Cal Poly. Ava Martin was so excited to slap the sticker on the board, she put it on the next round winner...haha.
