Brooke Niles

Niles’ Career Honors
2016 AVCA Coach of the Year
2019 CCSA Coach of the Year
2021 CCSA Coach of the Year

Brooke Niles’ Coaching Record

Entering her eighth season with the program in 2023, head coach Brooke Niles has shaped Florida State beach volleyball into one of the most elite teams in the country, establishing the Seminoles as a national contender every year and a fixture in the AVCA Beach Top-10. In only seven seasons with Niles at the helm, the Seminoles have earned three NCAA National Runner-Up finishes and secured six consecutive Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) conference championships.

Niles has led the Seminoles to 70 AVCA Top-10 wins in her six seasons, and since taking over the program prior to the 2016 season, Florida State has lost only six times against East Coast teams and teams in the CCSA.

Since establishing the program as a powerhouse in the NCAA beach volleyball community, the Seminoles have seen a number of top performers come through the program to play for Niles. She has led 12 AVCA All-Americans (Julie Brown and Jace Pardon in 2016, Leigh Andrew and Brooke Kuhlman in 2017, and Vanessa Freire and Tory Paranagua in 2018, Torrey Van Winden, Keara Rutz, Molly McBain and Alaina Chacon in 2021, Maddie Anderson and Brook Bauer in 2022), one CCSA Pair of the Year (Brown/Pardon, 2016) four CCSA Freshmen of the Year (Nikki Esposito in 2016, Francesca Goncalves in 2017 and Kate Privett in 2018, Keara Rutz in 2021), and 16 All-CCSA performers (Brown/Pardon in 2016, Paranagua/Pellitteri in 2016, Andrew/Kuhlman in 2017, Freire/Paranagua in 2018, Horton/Luke in 2018, Fitzpatrick/Chacon in 2019, Van Winden/Rutz in 2021, and Anderson/Bauer in 2022).

The team’s academic performance has flourished under Coach Niles, as the team continually records one of the best GPAs across the athletics department every year. Macy Jerger became the first three-time CCSA All-Academic Team honoree in 2019, securing the CCSA Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Molly McBain secured the Seminole’s fourth CCSA Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor in 2021. Madison Fitzpatrick is the fifth Seminole to earn CCSA Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor in 2022. Fitzpatrick was joined by Alaina Chacon, Kate Privett and Maddie Anderson on the CCSA All-Academic team in 2022. Julie Brown, Jace Pardon and Katherine Plessy were all named to the CCSA All-Academic team in 2016. Hailey Luke became the first Seminole to be named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll five times, while Niles has seen 53 ACC Academic Honor Roll awards earned by 31 different athletes. One of her players earned the ACC’s Weaver-James-Corrican Postgraduate Scholarship in each of the first three years of her tenure, with Katherine Plessy winning in 2016, Leigh Andrew in 2017 and Vanessa Freire in 2018.

2016

Niles led the Seminoles to unprecedented heights during the program’s first season as an official NCAA Championship sport. Her first year in Tallahassee was highlighted by a series of program firsts including a school record for dual-match victories (32), a conference championship, the top seed in the inaugural NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship and a national runner-up finish.

Florida State hit the ground running under Niles, winning its first 14 matches, all on the road, with eight of those victories coming against ranked foes including five ranked in the top-10. One of those wins came against then-No. 2 Southern California in Los Angeles as the Seminoles snapped the Women of Troy’s 19-match home win streak. FSU went on to earn the No. 1 overall seed at the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship after claiming the 2016 Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) Conference title.

The Seminoles finished the 2016 campaign as the national runner-up at the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship in Gulf Shores, Ala. after posting a 3-2 record at the tournament. FSU went on to set the single-season school record for victories in a season with 32 and ranked in the Top 5 of the AVCA national poll all year. Along with their 14-match win streak, the Seminoles also put together a school-record 17-match win streak which saw Florida State outscore the opposition 71-10. At season’s end, Florida State registered 19 victories over ranked schools, while posting an 11-3 mark against teams ranked in the Top 10.

Niles was recognized for her outstanding effort in her first season at the helm of the Seminole beach volleyball program as she was named National Coach of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).

2017

In her second year under the helm, Niles continued the winning tradition of Florida State beach volleyball. The team finished with the second-most wins in school history and the third-most in the country (29). Niles and the Noles secured back-to-back CCSA Championships after they defeated FIU 3-0 in 34 minutes. Florida State reached their second consecutive NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship appearance and sixth straight postseason appearance, tied for most of any school.

The Seminoles finished the 2017 season in fourth place at the NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship in Gulf Shore, Ala. after going 2-2 at the tournament. The Noles defeated a school-record 22 ranked teams during the 2017 season including 13 wins over top-10 teams and three over top-5 teams. The 2017 season saw the Garnet and Gold defeat Pepperdine for the first time in school history as they took down the second-ranked wave in Tallahassee.

Under Niles, Florida State garnered two AVCA All-Americans, six CCSA All-Conference selections, a league-best three student-athletes named to the CCSA All-Academic team in 2016, the CCSA Scholar-Athlete of the Year (Macy Jerger) in 2017, the CCSA Pair of the Year in 2016 (Julie Brown/Jace Pardon) and 10 Seminoles who earned a spot on the CCSA Academic Honor Roll.

2018

Niles set the bar even higher in her third season, scheduling 13 dual matches against ranked opponents in the regular season and finishing with a program-record 33 wins. Florida State reached its third consecutive NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship appearance, and seventh-straight postseason appearance, making FSU one of only two programs to make every NCAA and AVCA National Championship (along with Pepperdine).

The Seminoles went undefeated to make it to the finals of the NCAA Championship for the first time, taking down No. 1 UCLA, No. 3 Hawaii and No. 5 USC along the way. FSU fell to No. 1-overall UCLA in the finals for the team’s second NCAA Runner-Up finish under Niles.

FSU tallied 14 wins against AVCA Top-20 opponents in 2018, picking up four wins against higher-ranked teams. Through her three seasons at the helm, the Seminoles have remained undefeated against every East Coast team, and have not lost to a CCSA team since joining the conference in Niles’ first year.

Niles saw two more All-Americans in her third season, as Tory Paranagua and Vanessa Freire became the program’s 12th and 13th All-Americans. Four Seminoles were named to the CCSA All-Conference team, Macy Jerger earned her second consecutive CCSA Scholar-Athlete of the Year recognition, and the program placed 19 on the ACC Academic Honor Roll.

2019

Niles had continued success, finishing the 2019 season with another 29 wins. The Seminoles reached their fourth consecutive NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship, and eighth-straight postseason trip, keeping the Seminoles as one of just two teams to do so (Pepperdine). Florida State also won their fourth-straight CCSA Championship Title as they dominated the competition and capped it off with a 3-0 win over LSU in the championship match.

Florida State earned a win in the first round of the NCAA Championship with a 3-0 win over Cal Poly, before losing their next two matches to the top two seeds, UCLA and USC.

Florida State earned a program-high 21 wins over ranked opponents, picking up 12 wins over teams in the AVCA Top-10.

Niles earned her first career CCSA Coach of the Year award as the Seminoles saw two more join the CCSA All-Conference team and Macy Jerger earned CCSA Scholar-athlete of the Year honors for the third straight season. Kate Privett became the third Seminole to earn CCSA Freshman of the Year honors.

2020

In a season that ended in early March due to the Coronavirus outbreak, Niles continues to lead the Seminole to regular-season success. When the season ended, the Noles were 12-1 and held the highest winning percentage in the country. The Garnet and Gold ended the season ranked second in the DiG magazine poll with four first-place votes.

Niles helped coach four players to a perfect 13-0 season (Molly McBain, Alaina Chacon, Payton Caffrey and Liz Waters-Leiga). Those four Seminoles ended up being four of the only five players in the country to be undefeated with more than 10 matches played. McBain and Chacon won CCSA Pair of the Week and AVCA National Pair of the Week on March 3 for their 4-0 performance on court one against No. 10 Grand Canyon, No. 17 South Carolina, College of Charleston and NO. 4 USC.

The Seminoles earned six ranked wins in the first 13 matches of the season, including top-10 wins over No. 9 Stetson (4-1), No. 7 Cal Poly (4-1) and No. 10 Grand Canyon (4-1)

2021

Niles led the Seminole back to their fifth straight NCAA Tournament in 2021 after earning their fifth straight CCSA Conference Championship. The Noles went 28-4 during the regular season while earning 18 ranked wins, including 12 over top-10 teams. In total, the Seminoles finished with a 33-6 record, 22 ranked wins and 15 wins over top-10 teams. Florida State finished ranked No. 5 in the final AVCA rankings.

The Seminoles reach a program high ranking on March 16 after the Noles were ranked No. 1 for the first time in program history. The Noles headed into that week a perfect 13-0 with eight ranked wins, including five over top-10 teams.

During the 2021 season, the Seminoles earned their fourth and fifth wins over the top-ranked team in the country under Niles. On March 6 the Seminoles defeated No. 1 LSU in Baton Rouge and on April 3, the Noles took down No. 1 USC on their home courts.

Florida State earned a program-high four AVCA All-Americans after the season as Torrey Van Winden, Keara Rutz, Molly McBain and Alaina Chacon were all named second-team All-Americans.

2022

Niles led the Seminoles to their sixth straight NCAA Tournament in 2022 after winning their sixth consecutive CCSA Conference Championship. The Noles finished the regular season 25-8 while earning 16 ranked wins, including six over top-10 teams. The Seminoles finished post season with a 33-11 overall record, earning three wins in the CCSA Tournament and five wins in the NCAA Tournament. In total, the Seminoles earned 24 ranked wins and 13 wins over top-10 opponents. Florida State finished the season ranked No. 2 in the final AVCA rankings.

The Seminoles dominated at home, going unbeaten in nine matches featuring wins over No. 8 Cal Poly on February 26th and No. 2 TCU and No. 5 LSU on April 8th.

In the post season, the Seminoles fought back through the elimination bracket to the championship match in both the CCSA Conference Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. At the CCSA tournament, the Seminoles lost to first-seed TCU 3-2 before defeating the Horned Frogs 3-1 in the championship. At the NCAA Tournament, the Seminoles played a total of seven matches. First-seed USC, sent Florida State into the elimination with a 3-1 defeat. The Seminoles earned a rematch with USC in the finals after defeating two higher-seeded teams LMU(4) and UCLA(3). Despite the loss in the final, the Seminoles were the only squad to earn match points against USC.

Florida State earned many honors during the season with two AVCA All-Americans (Anderson/Bauer), four CCSA All-Academic Team (Fitzpatrick, A. Chacon, Privett, Anderson) and three CCSA All-Conference Teams (Anderson/Bauer, Long – All-Freshman). Madison Fitzpatrick and Alaina Chacon were named to the NCAA All-Tournament team following a 6-1 record at the tournament.

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Florida State University athletics announced the hiring of U.S. beach volleyball professional Brooke Niles as the Seminoles beach volleyball head coach on June 16, 2015. Niles, a California native who earned All-America honors as a player, has coached at the collegiate, junior college, club and high school levels working with both indoor and sand volleyball teams.

Niles, who earned a law and society degree from UC Santa Barbara in 2003, was a third-team All-American while playing for the Gauchos where she also was a three-time All-Big West selection and named conference freshman of the year. Following her playing career at UCSB, Niles spent three years as an assistant indoor coach at her alma mater before beginning a successful professional beach volleyball career in 2007 that saw her win numerous pro tournaments along with being named the AVP Beach Defensive Player of the Year in 2009.

While climbing to a Top 5 ranking in the National Volleyball Beach League and spending 2010-13 as a member of the USA Beach National Team, Niles was a first alternate for the USA 2012 London Olympic Beach National team.

The Woodland Hills native returned to coaching in 2010 at Oxnard Junior College with the indoor team. In 2012 she began coaching professional beach volleyball teams competing on the FIVB World Tour from the USA, Costa Rica and the Netherlands. Most recently Niles coached at Mira Costa High School in California and she was the director, founder and head coach of The Beach Team Club in Hermosa.

“I’m very excited that Brooke to joined our volleyball family,” said FSU Volleyball Head Coach Chris Poole. “She played beach volleyball and indoor volleyball at the highest level.  She has also coached indoor volleyball at a Top 10 level in the NCAA Division I and she has coached and trained with some of the best beach players in the world.  The references we got from National Team level players/coaches and Gold Medalist were outstanding.  She had a very impressive resume and made an impact on everyone during her visit.”

“Brooke will lead the squad in a fantastic way and help the ladies grow and learn in so many ways,” said Kerri Walsh a three-time Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball. “Her competitiveness is truly an asset as it leads her to work hard and push for excellence. She practices what she preaches and this to me is what coaching/teaching is all about.”

Niles is married to Nick Lucena, a Florida State graduate, professional beach volleyball player on the AVP Tour and Olympian in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. They have three children, Gunnar, Cole and Ryder.