KUHN UP CLOSE

PERSONAL

Name: Laura Lafleur Kuhn
Nickname: Bird
Born: November, 17, 1982
Hometown: Tiffin, Ohio
High School: Calvert High School, Tiffin, Ohio
College Education: Georgia Tech University, Bachelor of Science, Business Management, 2005

PLAYING CAREER

2001-04: Georgia Tech (middle blocker/right side hitter)

COACHING CAREER

2007: Appalachian State (assistant coach)
record: 19-14
2008-10: Miami (assistant coach)
record: 67-28
2011-14: Kansas (assistant coach)
record: 88-38
2015-17: Kansas (associate head coach)
record: 79-14
2018-: Texas A&M (head coach)
record: 68-46

COACHING HONORS

2015 AVCA Assistant Coach of the Year
2019 SEC Coach of the Year

Follow @Bird_AggieVB

Laura “Bird” Kuhn was named the head volleyball coach at Texas A&M on December 30, 2017 and became the sixth volleyball coach in Texas A&M program history. Kuhn is entering her fifth season as the head coach of the Aggies in 2022.

Kuhn’s third year directing the Maroon & White saw the Aggies rack up multiple achievements both on and off the court. The Aggies finished .500 in the abbreviated all-SEC schedule, earning series sweeps against South Carolina, Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss. A&M also earned its highest ranking in program history in the preseason, registering as No. 6 in the AVCA Coaches Poll. In addition, Kuhn saw star setter Camille Conner earn a Senior CLASS Award Nomination due to her stellar leadership and valuable on-court performances.

In her second season at the helm in College Station, Kuhn received the SEC Coach of the Year Award after leading the Aggies to a 23-8 overall record with a trip to the regional semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament. A&M tied for third in the Southeastern Conference with a record of 13-5 in SEC matches. The Aggies finished the year with a 14-1 record at home, setting the program record for wins at Reed Arena.

The 2019 campaign saw Hollann Hans and Camille Conner receive AVCA All-American honors under Kuhn’s direction, while also leading Makena Patterson and Camila Gomez to AVCA All-South region selections. Under her leadership, Hollann Hans and Camille Conner earned All-SEC recognition while Lauren Davis and Treyaunna Rush were selected as members of the SEC All-Freshman team.

In her first season with the Aggies, Texas A&M earned a fifth place finish in the SEC with a 10-8 record and finished the season with an overall record of 17-13. For the first time in program history, Texas A&M received the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2018-19 season.

Under her leadership, Hollann Hans became the first player in A&M history to be named AVCA Region Player of the Year, while Camille Conner was named to the AVCA All-South Region Team. Kuhn also coached SEC All-Freshman Team selection London Austin-Roark and all-conference selection Hans.

Kuhn, a former American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Assistant Coach of the Year joined the Aggies after serving as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Kansas, for seven years. She was instrumental in helping the volleyball program elevate to new heights, including the program’s first NCAA Final Four appearance in 2015 and the Jayhawks’ first Big 12 Conference championship in 2016.

Kuhn has earned a national reputation as a winner, having made an indelible impact at every stop of her career as an assistant coach while helping multiple programs reach new levels of success.

In the final six of her seven seasons as an assistant coach at Kansas, the Jayhawks constructed a combined record of 152 wins with 38 losses (.800 winning percentage), surpassing the 20-win milestone every year. Over that span, the Jayhawks made six consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, serving as host of first and second round matches four times. The Jayhawks have been ranked in the final AVCA Top 25 poll in four of the last six years, including an all-time high No. 3 final ranking in 2015.

In 2015, Kuhn was promoted to associate head coach, and she was honored by her coaching peers and selected the AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year following KU’s historic Final Four run that year in which the Jayhawks upset No. 1 Southern California in the regional finals while finishing the season with a school-record .299 hitting percentage.

During Kuhn’s time at Kansas, Jayhawks head coach Ray Bechard was named Big 12 Coach of the Year four times (2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016). In addition, Jayhawks players garnered a combined seven first-, second-, and third-team AVCA All-America honors as well as nine honorable mention awards. In 2015, two Kuhn recruits who are Texas natives (Kelsie Payne and Ainise Havili) became the first Jayhawks in program history to earn first-team accolades. Payne, Havili and Pflugerville, Texas, native Madison Rigdon, who earned AVCA All-America Honorable Mention in 2017, were all members of Kansas’ 2014 recruiting class that was ranked 15th in the nation.

Kuhn was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Miami (Florida) for three years (2008-10) before joining the Jayhawks staff. In her first season with the Hurricanes, head coach Nicole Lantagne-Welch was named AVCA Region Coach of the Year and ACC Coach of the Year as Miami went 26-6 overall and finished with an all-time best 14-6 record in ACC matches. Kuhn helped the Hurricanes reach the NCAA tournament in each of her final two seasons, and outside hitter Lane Carico became the program’s first AVCA All-American in 2010.

Kuhn began her college coaching career in 2007 at Appalachian State, where Matt Ginipro was named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year and Brittany Zahn collected SoCon Player of the Year honors.

Kuhn played collegiately at Georgia Tech, where she was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starting right side hitter from 2001-04. During her playing career, the Yellow Jackets went a combined 113-25 (.819), won three Atlantic Coast Conference regular season championships and one ACC tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament every year. Both the 2002 and 2004 teams reached the Sweet 16, and in 2003 the Yellow Jackets advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history and also became the first ACC team to reach a regional final. Kuhn earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business management from Georgia Tech in 2005.

A native of Tiffin, Ohio, Kuhn was a two-sport star at Calvert High School, where she excelled at both volleyball and basketball. While in high school, Kuhn earned Junior Olympic All-America honors for the Toledo Volleyball Club in 2000.

What others are saying about Laura “Bird” Kuhn:

“We are so proud of Bird and all that she has helped us accomplish here at the University of Kansas during the last seven years. I know she is thrilled about the opportunity to continue to develop Texas A&M’s rich tradition in volleyball. Her enthusiasm for the sport, work ethic and exceptional ability to build relationships are just a few reasons why she will do an outstanding job leading the Aggies. The energy she will bring to College Station will be noticeable.”
Ray Bechard, Head Volleyball Coach, University of Kansas

“Coach Kuhn is a leader with vision, passion and energy. She has had a remarkable impact everywhere she has coached as a recruiter, a trainer and a mentor. I expect her to reenergize the A&M program and take it to new heights. The SEC and the rest of the country better be ready for the Aggies in the future.”
Bond Shymansky, Head Volleyball Coach, University of Iowa
(Former head volleyball coach at Georgia Tech, 2002-08)

"As I reflect on the 25-year career of Laurie Corbelli, I am struck by the numerous accomplishments, memories and positive impacts she had on so many Aggies. And presently I am so proud of Bird for earning this well-deserved opportunity. She put in the time and effort and made a genuine difference in every program she has been a part of. There is no doubt she will add her imprint to Aggie Volleyball, and I look forward to watching the program develop under her leadership."
Nicole Lantagne-Welch
Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at UC Santa Barbara

“Texas A&M has hired one of the best up-and-coming coaches in the country. Bird is a great person and I have no doubt will do a great job leading the Aggies into the future.”
Kirsten Bernthal Booth, Head Volleyball Coach, Creighton University

“I’m excited for Bird and for Texas A&M Volleyball. She brings a high level of energy, competitiveness and intensity which will be contagious in the gym, along with being a great recruiter. I’m exceptionally proud of what she’s done in her career, and can’t wait to see that success carry into being the head coach at A&M.”
Matt Ginipro, Head Volleyball Coach, Appalachian State

August 2022