Bob Vilsoet

Bob Vilsoet

Vilsoet will enter his 22nd season at the helm of the Harper College volleyball program in the fall of 2024. Since he became head coach in 2002, the Hawks have posted a 605-349 overall record, including a 201-125 mark in N4C play.
 
Vilsoet has earned plenty of hardware during his tenure at Harper as he has earned the following:

  • Eight-time District B Coach of the Year (2002, 2005-2006, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2023)
  • Seven-time Region IV Coach of the Year (2005, 2006, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2023)
  • Six-time N4C Conference Coach of the Year (2005, 2006, 2008, 2016, 2019, and 2021)
  • Eight Region IV Championships (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2023)
  • Eight N4C Conference Championships (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 20016, 20017, and 2019), including four undefeated seasons (2006, 2016, 2017 and 2019).  The N4C’s last year of operation was 2022.
  • American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) 2016 Midwest Region and 2017 Midwest Regional Coach of the Year,
  • National Two-Year College (TYC) United States Marine Corps (USMC) Coach of the Year.
  • 2016 NJCAA Div III National Championship Coach of the Year;
  • And most recently, Class of 2023 NJCAA Hall of Fame

 
In 2016, Harper College won the NJCAA Div III National Championship with a 43-1 record overall and 12-0 in N4C Conference, and in 2017 went to the National Championship match again and was the NJCAA Div III National Runner-up with a 37-6 overall record; and 12-0 in N4C Conference play again. Both years, Harper College finished the regular season ranked #1 in the National Poll.
 
Vilsoet also has a track record of developing players as he has coached 22 All-Americans.  This is in addition to 4 Volleyball Magazine All-American in the last 4 years.  Most recently, this past year Middle Hitter Taylor Knuth was named 2023 NJCAA All-American, Volleyball Magazine All-American and AVCA Volleyball All-American.  Taylor set the Harper College Season and the NJCAA season record for most kills with 723.  She also had 519 digs and 98 aces.  Setter Eden Suh, was also named 2023 NJCAA All-American and led the country with a Harper College season record of 1590 assists, breaking current assistant coach’s previous Harper College record of 1550 assists set back in 2017.
 
In the offseason, Vilsoet coaches at Sky High Volleyball Club (since 2004). The Sky High regional teams that Bob Vilsoet coaches practice here at Harper College, in Palatine, and have earned bids to the USAV National Championship Tournament 7 times as a Regional (Non-Travel) team.
 
A former Midwest Volleyball professional sand doubles player, Vilsoet was named Midwest Volleyball Professionals (MVP) Amateur Sportsman of the Year in 1996. He has been playing in various indoor/outdoor leagues for over 30 years in the Great Lakes Region and is also IMPACT certified.
 
Vilsoet has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Northern Illinois University, which he obtained in 1994. He also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Mathematics (double major) from Illinois State University in 1980. Before ISU, Vilsoet graduated from Harper College in 1978, with both an Associate Degree in the Arts, and an Associate Degree in Science.