photo by: Nick Krug

The Kansas Jayhawks, led by senior setter Maggie Anderson (19) go crazy after beating the Longhorns in five sets on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016 at the Horejsi Center.

Kansas volleyball head coach Ray Bechard has promoted director of operations Maggie (Anderson) Bowen to assistant coach for the 2018 season. Bowen replaces former assistant coach Kelly Files, who resigned for personal reasons after coaching spring practices.

“With the comfort level that our staff and team have with Maggie, this will make for the best transition right now,” Bechard said in a team release. “Maggie, having lived the culture that we are continuing to develop and maintain, is a great fit. With the passion, emotion, love she has for the university, our athletic department and volleyball program, she will do a great job this fall in helping this team and this program reach its goals.”

Last season was Bowen’s first as director of operations for the volleyball program, and this fall will be the start of her seventh season overall with the Jayhawks. Bowen, who was a setter for Kansas from 2012-16, was a part of the program’s first appearance in the Final Four in 2015 and outright Big 12 title in 2016.

“Maggie has a good setting background and I know she will add a great voice of reason to everything we do,” Bechard said. “She was a role player for us, but she was a prime-time player when it came to what a good teammate looked like and what we want the culture to continue to develop here looks like. Maggie can impact each and every one of our players at some level regardless of their position because of her exemplary personal traits she possesses.”