The old must always make way for the new. But that doesn’t mean the departing person will be trusted into oblivion. Instead, the pressure sometimes is on the newcomer to fill the big shoes left by their predecessor. As Kansas University waits to start the new volleyball season with a new captain guiding the ship, the Jayhawks take a moment to bid adieu to the legend who led the way for all these years.

Ray Bechard has been the head coach of Kansas’ volleyball program for 27 years. In December, the Jayhawks announced that 2024 would be the last season that the 5x Big 12 Coach of The Year would be the head honcho of the program. It was under Bechard’s leadership, that the school bagged its first-ever Big 12 conference title in 2016. Justifiably, it’s only natural that the fans wanted to thank him one last time before Ray cleared his office.

Kansas University bows down to college icon

A post by Kansas Volleyball’s official account on X from January 18 shared the scenes from a packed Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena as the Jayhawks fans came together to hail the exiting head coach. Captioned, “Forever grateful,” the social media update shows Bechard and his family soaking in the electrifying atmosphere. The crowd could hardly stop clapping their heads, as the voiceover in the video states, “Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations to coach Ray Bechard for a well-earned retirement, here from the University of Kansas.”

With a career record of 496-313, Bechard is the winningest coach to have ever guided Kansas University’s volleyball squad, and will undoubtedly leave as a legend. He has also coached 26 All-American honorees at Kansas and has led the team to 13 NCAA tournament appearances, with the Jayhawks reaching the Final Four round in 2015. Bechard’s achievements speak for themselves.

His farewell was thus also an emotional affair, and Ray’s colleagues could be seen embracing him tightly wishing him all the best for the next chapter of his life. “It’s been the honor of a lifetime to fulfill the role as Head Volleyball Coach at the University of Kansas for the last 27 years. I’m proud of what we accomplished during my time at Kansas,” the retired coach said in his goodbye speech. But, while the heaving emotions were aplenty, Ray will be leaving things in good hands.

Fresh blood to maintain the momentum

On January 19, the Kansas University Volleyball account once again took to X (formerly Twitter), to announce the new head coach who will be taking over Bechard’s role. Former Oregon coach Matt Ulmer was seen arriving at the airport in a chartered flight, eager to begin the journey with the Jayhawks. Ulmer’s new job was announced on social media by Kansas, noting how excited the whole school is about the imminent collaboration.

“In bringing Coach Ulmer to KU, we have paired one of the premier coaches in the game with one of the premier programs in the country,” said Travis Goff, the Director of Athletics at the University. As per Goff, the program drew interest from many coaches, but it was Ulmer and his incredible record that stood out to the university. Taking over Oregon’s reins from Jim Moore, who still stands as the program’s all-time win leader, Ulmer didn’t disappoint. In fact, he ended his eight-season-long coaching tenure at Oregon with a 166-77 record and seven NCAA appearances. “We are confident he will carry on the tradition that Ray Bechard established in his 27 seasons as our passionate leader,” added Goff.

How do you think coach Ulmer will fare at Kansas? Will he be able to live up to the legacy of Coach Bechard? Tell us your expectations from Ulmer in a comment!