photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas head coach Ray Bechard applauds a play against Florida Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024 in Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence.

One of the longstanding fixtures of the Kansas athletic department is moving on following a distinguished career.

KU volleyball coach Ray Bechard is retiring after 27 seasons leading the Jayhawks, he announced on Friday afternoon.

“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,” Bechard said in a press release. “This professional journey was made possible by a supportive administration, a coaching staff that worked tirelessly and together and by countless young women who competed with grit and demonstrated grace, while representing the university with class.”

Bechard led KU to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, headlined by a berth in the 2015 Final Four for which he earned national coach of the year honors, and coached 26 All-Americans while amassing a career record of 496-313.

“I’m proud of what we accomplished during my time at Kansas; we built a program that was nationally competitive and nationally respected,” he said.

A native of Grinnell who spent 13 years at Barton County Community College in Great Bend before taking the reins in Lawrence in 1998, Bechard spent his career within the Sunflower State. He has coached the Jayhawks for the majority of the program’s existence, and KU’s next coach will be just its seventh in program history.

“Ray Bechard is a University of Kansas icon and has had one of the most influential and accomplished careers in college volleyball,” KU athletic director Travis Goff said in the release. “We are forever grateful for the incredible impact he made on so many in our athletic department, with his student-athletes being at the forefront.

“Coach B enriched the lives of countless people and is the architect of a program that has flourished on and off the court throughout his tenure. We will miss him dearly and will work with the same intensity and passion he coached with to continue the legacy he built.”

Bechard concludes his coaching career following a 25-5 (15-3 Big 12) season in which KU had the opportunity to host NCAA Tournament matches in Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena for the second straight season, but lost to Florida in a five-set heartbreaker.

The arena itself was one product of Bechard’s tenure, as the facility, more than double the capacity of its predecessor, opened in 2019 to serve as the new home of KU’s program.

“We are grateful for all Coach Bechard has done for our university and our student-athletes during his remarkable career at KU,” Chancellor Douglas Girod said in the release. “Beyond the excellence his programs displayed on the court, Coach Bechard was a terrific ambassador for our university and always represented us well on the national stage. We wish him the best in retirement and thank him for his contributions to KU.”

Goff will now be called upon to make his fifth head-coaching hire since assuming the role of athletic director in April 2021. He previously hired Lance Leipold (football), Lindsay Kuhle (women’s golf), Dan Fitzgerald (baseball) and most recently Nate Lie (soccer).

“I’m thankful for the support of Chancellor Girod, Director of Athletics Travis Goff and sport administrator Nicole Corcoran,” Bechard said. “They will find the right person to elevate this nationally prominent program to even greater heights. This decision, though a difficult one, won’t change my devotion to this athletic department and volleyball program.

“I’m looking forward to the time it will allow for a more consistent presence in the lives of my wife, children and grandkids who all have supported me in my coaching career. Thank you, Jayhawk Nation!”