Flynn Oldenburg takes over at OSU
Mentors played a big part in the playing and coaching career of Jen Flynn Oldenburg, a 1996 Baldwin graduate who was recently hired as women’s volleyball coach at Ohio State University.
“I’ve been fortunate to have some great mentors throughout my playing and coaching career,” Flynn Oldenburg said. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without their mentoring.”
Flynn Oldenburg was a three-sport athlete at Baldwin, starting all four years on the volleyball, basketball and softball teams. She was an outside hitter for the Highlanders’ volleyball teams, which won three WPIAL titles (1992, 1994, 1995) and one PIAA crown (1995). She was also the shortstop on four WPIAL title-winning softball teams. Paul Hindes was the coach of both teams.
“I was fortunate to begin my athletic career at Baldwin,” Flynn Oldenburg said. “Paul Hindes is one of the most successful coaches in WPIAL history.”
After graduating from Baldwin, Flynn Oldenburg moved on to Ohio State to continue her volleyball career. She was a four-year starter for the Buckeyes (1996-1999) and the first conference player to be named All-Big Ten at two different positions (setter and outside hitter) during her career. She recorded 3,213 career assists, which ranks seventh in school history, and 1,138 digs, which ranks 12th, to secure her place in the program’s history book. She handed out 1,587 assists during the 1997 campaign to check in at No. 4 among the school’s singleseason leaders.
Flynn Oldenburg graduated from Ohio State in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in sport and leisure studies and spent the 2001 season on staff as a volunteer assistant coach for the Buckeyes. She received scholar-athlete laurels every year and was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
Her coach at Ohio State was Jim Stone.
“I was so fortunate to have Jim Stone as my coach at Ohio State,” Flynn Oldenburg said. “I learned so much from him as a player. ”
Flynn Oldenburg’s playing career continued at the international level, as she went on to be the starting setter for the USA National Team and led the squad to a silver medal at the 2002 World Championship. She also started for the Grand Rapids Force (USPV) and played on the USPV “Dream Team,” starting at setter for the Millennium Cup Champion USPV All-Stars, where she was named to the alltournament team.
In 2003, Flynn Oldenburg was hired as an assistant coach at Illinois. She served nine seasons and handled all aspects of the program. The Illini made four-consecutive NCAA Sweet 16 appearances during her tenure and finished second in the country in 2011.
“I got to coach with Kevin Hambly at Illinois,” said Flynn Oldenburg of Hambly, now the coach at Stanford. “We rebuilt the culture together at Illinois. I learned a lot in my time with him. It was great to see him win the NCAA title this year with Stanford and to have it played here in Pittsburgh was even better.”
Flynn Oldenburg also recognized another Baldwin athlete now coaching at Ohio State, softball coach Kelly Kovach Schoenley, who attended the press conference announcing her hiring.
“I want to thank my family, including the honorary Flynn, Kelly,” said Flynn Oldenburg, of Schoenley, a seven-year coach for the Buckeyes. “She was a role model for me as I grew up.”
Flynn Oldenburg spent the past six years as associate director of the Pittsburgh Elite Volleyball Association. She was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the club, handled recruitment for potential collegiate athletes and worked as a private lessons instructor.
“I received a phone call from my former coach [Jim Stone] over the summer,” Flynn Oldenburg said. “He asked me to join his staff as an assistant of the USA Volleyball Girls Youth National Team. It was an 18-and-under team that competed in the World Championships in Cairo, Egypt. We won a gold medal, the first time for a U.S. age-group team at that event.”
That coaching experience with Stone played a big part in Flynn Oldenburg being chosen as Ohio State’s new head coach.
“It was always in my head, but I never knew it would become reality,” said Flynn Oldenburg, when asked if she had aspirations of returning to Ohio State as head coach. “Getting out of the college game I took a step back to be a mom, and I enjoyed those moments and will still enjoy them in the future. To come back and be a leader of this program is a dream come true.”
It will be a huge challenge for Flynn Oldenburg, as the Buckeyes were 15-17 last year, including an 8-12 mark in the Big Ten Conference, which is considered one of the strongest conferences in the country.
“The Big Ten is a beast,” Flynn Oldenburg admitted. “It may be scary, if not daunting, to some, but I’ve played and coached in this conference. I know what it’s all about. I’m looking forward to the challenge of turning this program around.”