🏐 Ebel, Nielsen Promoted to Associate Head Coaches

LAWRENCE, Kan. – After a second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, Kansas Head Coach Ray Bechard has announced promotions for assistant coaches Billy Ebel and Kaitlin Nielsen. Ebel was promoted to Associate Head Coach – Recruiting Coordinator and Nielsen was elevated to Associate Head Coach – Technical Advisor.

“The consistency and synergy that has developed within our staff is important in our goal to maintain relevance at the national level,” Bechard said. “Kaitlin and Billy come to work every day with the goal of maximizing the student-athlete experience for the young women in our program.”

During their time at Kansas, Ebel and Nielsen have coached nine All-Big 12 selections, four All-Big 12 Rookie Team selections, one Big 12 Freshman of the Year, one All-American honorable mention and eight AVCA All-Region honorees.

“They have played a crucial role in our ability to sustain excellence within our program, and represent our profession in a way that our athletic department and University can be very proud of,” Bechard said. “They are equipped to tackle the challenges we face in a rapidly changing industry and are making a significant impact on our sport while representing their generation of coaches in an exemplary manner.”

Ebel will be entering his sixth season in 2023. He previously spent five seasons at Lipscomb and two years at UMKC. Meanwhile, Nielsen is going into her fifth season with the Jayhawks. A former UCLA student-athlete and coach, Nielsen came to Kansas in 2019 after six seasons coaching at her alma mater.

Kansas secured its 11th berth in the NCAA Tournament and second straight appearance in 2022, ultimately finishing the year with a record of 19-11.