During a team meeting on Saturday in Seattle, head coach Mike Hebert announced that he has decided to retired after 15 years of leading the nationally-recognized program.

“Coaching volleyball has been a labor of love for me,” said Hebert in a statement released by the athletic department on Saturday. “Not once over the past 35 years have I started a day wishing I were doing something else. However, all of us coach with the realization that one day it has to end. That day has come for me. I want to devote more of my time to my wife Sherry, my daughters Becky and Hillary, and my grandsons Mateo and Farris. I owe them a level of attention that the long hours required by the coaching profession often preclude.”

Hebert said he wanted to make sure he was leaving the program in good condition and feels that the strength of next year’s roster will be a huge benefit to a new coach.  The athletic department, lead by AD Joel Maturi, will begin a national search immediately to find Hebert’s replacement.

Stay tuned to MNDaily.com for updates on Hebert’s decision, including highlights on his career and the team’s success this season.