The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Volleyball
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
David Hunt enters his fifth season on the Texas Volleyball coaching staff as Associate Head Coach in 2026. He joined head coach Jerritt Elliott’s staff after five seasons as the head coach at Pepperdine, bringing extensive collegiate, professional and international coaching experience to the Longhorns.
Since joining the Texas staff in 2022, Hunt has helped guide the Longhorns to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including back-to-back National Championships in 2022 and 2023. During his tenure on the Forty Acres, Texas has compiled a 102-16 record and captured two national titles.
In 2025, Hunt helped lead Texas to a 26-4 record, an appearance in the SEC Tournament Final and the program’s 20th consecutive season advancing through the opening two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns finished among the nation’s top defensive teams, totaling 240.5 blocks on the season. Texas also produced three AVCA All-Americans, including Torrey Stafford (First Team), Cari Spears (Third Team) and Emma Halter (Honorable Mention). Stafford was named the AVCA Southwest Region Player of the Year, while Spears earned Freshman of the Year honors, marking the third consecutive season a Longhorn earned the award.
In 2024, Hunt helped Texas advance to the NCAA Regional Semifinal after the Longhorns swept the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament at home. Texas finished the season 20-7 and placed four players on the All-SEC teams, including first-team selections Madisen Skinner and Marianna Singletary, second-team selection Reagan Rutherford and All-Freshman Team honoree Ayden Ames. Skinner was also named an AVCA Second Team All-American.
Hunt played a key role in Texas’ historic 2022 and 2023 seasons, helping the Longhorns become one of only nine programs in NCAA volleyball history to win back-to-back national championships. In 2023, Texas finished 28-4 and swept Nebraska in the NCAA Championship match, with Madisen Skinner earning Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors. Skinner, Asjia O’Neal and Emma Halter joined Ella Swindle on the Final Four All-Tournament Team, while Skinner and O’Neal earned AVCA First Team All-America honors.
In his first season at Texas in 2022, Hunt helped lead the Longhorns to the program’s sixth national championship. Texas advanced to its 14th Final Four, defeating San Diego in the national semifinal before sweeping Louisville in the championship match in Omaha, Nebraska. Logan Eggleston was named AVCA National Player of the Year and Final Four Most Outstanding Player after leading the Longhorns to the title. Texas earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, won its sixth consecutive conference championship and placed six players on All-America teams.
Before arriving at Texas, Hunt spent five seasons as the head coach at Pepperdine from 2018-22, compiling a 78-38 record and leading the Waves to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2019, just his second season as head coach, Hunt guided Pepperdine to Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular season and tournament championships and a berth in the NCAA Tournament semifinals. He was named MPSF Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2022. During his tenure, 14 players earned All-America honors and 15 players were named to the MPSF All-Conference teams.
Prior to becoming Pepperdine’s head coach, Hunt spent multiple seasons on the Waves’ coaching staff from 2007-14. He also received three American Volleyball Coaches Association Thirty Under 30 Awards (2010, 2016, 2017).
Hunt has extensive experience with USA Volleyball, serving in multiple roles with both the men’s and women’s national programs. In 2016, he was an assistant coach with the U.S. Women’s National Team that earned a bronze medal at the Rio Olympic Games. He previously served as head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team at the 2014 NORCECA World Championship Qualification Tournament, worked with the U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team in 2012 and served as an assistant coach with the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team at the 2011 FIVB World Championships. He also spent time with the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2008 Pan American Cup and served as an assistant coach with the Japanese Men’s National Team in 2013.
A native of Glendale, California, Hunt played volleyball at Pierce College before earning a bachelor’s degree in history from UCLA in 2008.
