UMD Athletics

The winningest coach in program history, Jim Boos took over the Bulldog program in 2002 and immediately led the team to the forefront of the NCAA Division II scene. UMD has maintained its status as perennial national title contender under Boos, making 19 trips to the NCAA II National Tournament including 13 visits in a row from 2002 to 2014.

In his 22nd season under the helm, Boos led his club to a 18-11 record in 2023 and a quarterfinal appearance in the NCAA II Central Region as the seventh seed, losing to eventual region champion Wanye State College.

Boos wasted little time making his mark on the program, moving his inaugural UMD team into the national rankings after just two weeks. The Bulldogs were there to stay -- literally. UMD was ranked in every AVCA II national poll from 2002-2021. The Bulldogs secured their first-ever No. 1 ranking in school history a month after cracking the national top 25 under Boos on Oct. 15, 2002, just two months into his tenure. Since then, UMD has earned the top billing on 17 different occasions, holding the No. 1 spot for four straight weeks in both 2015 and 2016. 

Boos surpassed his predecessor, Pati Rolf, for most career coaching victories at UMD in 2013 when his Bulldogs defeated Minnesota State-Mankato on Sept. 28, his 311th career triumph. Boos also eclipsed the 400-win plateau during the 2016 campaign and became the 15th NCAA Division II coach to reach 500 victories in the team's five-set win over Sioux Falls on September 24, 2021. He currently sits 436 matches over .500 with a 569-133 overall record. Additionally, his teams have posted a 276-73 record in 18 seasons of NSIC competition.

Following a shift out of the NSIC at the conclusion of the 2003 season, Boos and the Bulldogs won four-consecutive North Central Conference titles from 2004-07, posting a 45-3 four-year record and putting together back-to-back 12-0 league marks in 2006 and 2007. The NCC disbanded at the conclusion of the 2007 season, but not before Boos was presented with the NCC Legacy Award (the only UMD representative to receive the honor).

The Bulldogs would finish 29-3 in Boos’ first season in the NSIC, romping to an 18-0 mark and the first of his nine conference championships. At the end of his debut season behind the Bulldog bench, Boos was recognized by his colleagues as the 2002 NSIC Coach of the Year. He would repeat that feat in 2011 and again in 2014, when UMD went 20-0 in its tough NSIC schedule, while defeating 11 nationally-ranked teams on the way to a program-best winning percentage (.942) and a 33-2 overall record.

Boos made UMD history in 2004 when the Bulldogs earned their inaugural trip to the NCAA II Elite Eight. UMD would advance as far as the national semifinals before falling to eventual champion Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. Boos was named the 2004 AVCA National Coach of the Year on the heels of a 27-5 record and deep playoff run. Two years later, the Bulldogs made a similar postseason push, again bowing out to an eventual champion (this time the University of Tampa) in the Final Four.

UMD has been able to rely on consistently sound recruiting and talent development since Boos took charge. As a result, his players have reaped the benefits on an individual level. So far, Boos has produced two National Players of the Year in Vicky Braegelmann (2006 and 2007) and Kate Lange (2013) and churned out 26 AVCA All-Americans including six during the 2014 season. Additionally, Boos has produced players who constantly rewrite the Bulldog record book, establishing new career leaders in kills (including the top three), hitting percentage (top three), assists (top two), total blocks (top two), and defensive digs.

Boos officially signed on at UMD July 24, 2002, becoming the school’s fourth head volleyball coach since 1976. He succeeded Pati Rolf (1988-2001), who resigned as head coach May 10, 2002 to take over at NCAA I Marquette University in the same capacity. A native of Delafield, Wisconsin, Boos earned his Bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 1994 and obtained a Master’s degree in educational leadership from that same institution five years later. Boos served as an assistant coach for the Titans from 1992-98, helping guide them to four NCAA Division III national tournaments, including a runner-up finish in 1994. While Boos was a member of the coaching staff, Wisconsin-Oshkosh won two Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference crowns and produced three NCAA III All-Americans, one of whom was named National Player of the Year in 1996. Three years prior to taking over at UMD, Boos was an assistant coach at North Dakota State University, where he helped the Bison to their seventh straight NCAA Division II Tournament in 2001. In his three years at NDSU, the Bison compiled an overall record of 80-21 and captured two NCC titles.

In addition to coaching at UMD, Boos serves on the NCAA Division II National Volleyball Committee. He and his wife, Jenn, live in Duluth and have two sons, Mason and Carter, whom both currently play collegiate baseball.