JW Kieckhefer will begin his seventh year with the Firebirds after being named Head Coach in July of 2019. Kieckhefer has coached four NCAA Tournament squads, with historic seasons in 2021 and 2022, winning back-to-back National Championships. It marked the first-ever team NCAA National Championships for Carthage since the College began competing in athletics in 1895.
The 2021 National Championship team went 23-0 and 69-3 in sets. Kieckhefer was named CCIW Coach of the Year, AVCA Region Coach of the Year, United States Marine Corps/AVCA Division III Men's National Coach of the Year, and became a recipient of the AVCA 30 under 30 award in the same season.
Carthage had another historic season in 2022 as the Firebirds won their second NCAA National Championship trophy. The team went 24-3 and was the first team to repeat as NCAA champions since 2018. The Firebirds concluded the season on a 24-game winning streak.
During his six years with the program, he has amassed a record of 118-24 (.831), was named AVCA National Coach of the Year in 2021, AVCA Region Coach of the Year in 2021 and 2025, made 4 NCAA Tournament Appearances, won 4 CCIW Conference Championships, and was a four-time CCIW Conference Coach of the Year award winner.Â
Kieckhefer’s tenure at Carthage has seen players amass 2 AVCA National Newcomer of the Year Awards, 3 AVCA Region Player of the Year Awards, 17 AVCA All-American Selections, 23 AVCA All-Region Selections, and 26 CCIW All-Conference Selections.Â
Before Carthage, Kieckhefer was an assistant coach at NCAA Division 1 Purdue Fort Wayne for 5 seasons. In his last season at PFW in 2019, he helped the Mastodons to a 17-12 record. They earned the No. 3 seed in the MIVA Tournament thanks to their best finish in the MIVA regular season play since 2007.
As a player for Purdue Fort Wayne, Kieckhefer saw action in 105 matches from 2011-14. He was sixth in NCAA D1 digs per set during the 2012 campaign with 2.57. That 2012 season landed him 4th in program history for digs in a season and 5th in digs per set in a season. Prior to Fort Wayne, Kieckhefer played at Hartford Union High School and club volleyball with Milwaukee Volleyball Club.
