JW Kieckhefer was named Carthage College's men's volleyball head coach in July 2019 and finished his first season at Carthage 12-3 (.800) with a 6-0 record in conference play, along with being named CCIW's first Coach of the Year.
Kieckhefer had a historic second season as the team went 23-0 and captured their first NCAA National Championship trophy. It marked the first-ever team NCAA National Championship since Carthage began competing in athletics in 1895, 126 years ago. For the second straight season, Kieckhefer was named CCIW Coach of the Year. Kieckhefer was also named the United States Marine Corps/AVCA Division III Men's National Coach of the Year and AVCA Region Coach of the Year becoming the first coach in program history to win the conference, a recipient of the AVCA 30 under 30 award, regional and national Coach of the Year honors.
Kieckhefer had another historic season in his third season as the season won their second NCAA National Championship trophy. The team went 24-3 and are the first team to repeat as champions since 2018. The Firebirds concluded the season on a 24-game winning streak. In addition, the team featured six student-athletes that were named to the NVA/ACVA all-american award winners and all-region honors.
In his fourth season, Kiechkhefer led the Firebirds to an overall record of 18-8 (.692), including a record of 9-3 (.750) in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. The Firebirds competed in the NCAA Tournament. Carthage fought for a spot in the final four but ended their season the the elite eight. Two of Kiechkhefer's players earned AVCA All-American Teams.
In 2025, the Firebirds went 23-4 and 9-1 in conference play, winning the CCIW Regular Season and Tournament titles. Carthage returned to the NCAA Regional Tournament making an appearance in the NCAA Quarterfinals. Kieckhefer earned AVCA Region IV Coach of the Year honors and CCIW Coach of the Year accolades for the fourth time while surpassing 100 career wins during the season.
Kieckhefer was an assistant coach at Purdue Fort Wayne and where he helped the Mastodons to a 17-12 record in 2019. The Mastodons earned the No. 3 seed in the MIVA Tournament thanks to their best finish in the MIVA regular season since 2007. The season was highlighted by a pair of 3-0 wins over Ball State, which had never been done in program history prior.
In 2018, his team went 18-11 earning the fifth seed in the MIVA Tournament. The season was highlighted by a five-set win at No. 3 UC Irvine.
In 2017, the Mastodons ended the year with a 5-23 record. During his first year as a full-time assistant in 2016, Kieckhefer worked under Perrotte, helping lead the Mastodons to a 10-19 season.
As a graduate assistant coach in 2015, Kieckhefer worked under head coach Arnie Ball and assistant coach Perrotte. The 'Dons went 18-12 and earned a ranking as high as 9 in the AVCA Top-15 Coaches Poll.
In addition to his coaching duties, Kieckhefer helped in the planning of practices, scouting reports and match plans. He was also responsible for match analysis, statistics, daily administrative duties and recruiting.
As a player for the Mastodons, Kieckhefer saw action in 105 matches, earning 498 digs (1.44 per set) from 2010-14. Prior to Fort Wayne, Kieckhefer played at Hartford Union High School and club volleyball with North Shore Milwaukee VC.
