Penn State signs Katie Schumacher-Cawley to well-deserved contract extension

Penn State women’s volleyball head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley, the first female head coach to win a national championship, went through a lot in 2024. She led her Nittany Lions to the program’s first national championship since 2014, a feat she accomplished as a player in 1999, and she did it while battling cancer. Then, days, after completing her cancer treatments, Penn State announced a contract extension that will tie Schumacher-Cawley to the program through 2030. 

A former two-time All-American, Schumacher-Cawley took over for legendary Penn State head coach Russ Rose in 2022. Rose led the Nittany Lions to their first seven women’s volleyball national championships, including with Schumacher-Cawley on the roster in ‘99.

In Year 1, Schumacher-Cawley led Penn State to a 26-8 record and a third-round exit in the NCAA Tournament with a loss to Wisconsin. Then, Penn State managed a 23-9 record in 2023 and the Badgers ended the Nittany Lion’s season again, also in the regional semifinal. Finally, in 2024, Penn State bested Wisconsin and Nebraska for the Big Ten title and took out the Cornhuskers in the Final Four before defeating Louisville in four sets to claim the title. 

The 2024 Big Ten title was Penn State's first since 2017. It was also the program's 17th conference crown, by far the most in Big Ten history. Wisconsin is second with nine and the Badgers claimed four of the six titles between Penn State's wins.

Schumacher-Cawley is 44 years old and will not yet be 50 by the end of this extension. If she continues her upward trajectory, she could have a chance to challenge Rose’s seven national championships, but it’s unlikely she’d overtake his record as the winningest coach in Penn State women’s volleyball history. Across 43 seasons, Rose tallied 1,330 wins. 

Rose remained with the program in an advisory role after handing the reigns to Schumacher-Cawley.