New Omaha Supernovas head coach Chris McGown and general manager John Cook are joining forces for the 2027 Major League Volleyball season.
The two have known each other for years, with their relationship going back to Cook’s days as head coach for the Nebraska volleyball team and McGown’s time at BYU. They consulted together previously and will now work together in Omaha.
The Supernovas announced the hiring of McGown on Tuesday. He signed a two-year contract with the team.
“I’ve been talking with Coach Cook ever since he took the job as GM, kind of a little bit about why he got involved, and for me it’s a lot of the same reasons,” McGown told Hurrdat Sports. “This is such a special team, a special place, the right time in terms of volleyball, where it’s going in this country. For me, it was a real privilege to get to be involved in this, and understanding just the timing and everything that’s going into it. It couldn’t be a better fit.”
McGown’s latest coaching stop was in Austin, Texas, where he served as interim head coach for LOVB Austin in 2025. He took over the job in late February and guided the team to a championship.
McGown began his coaching career at BYU, serving as a volunteer assistant for the women’s team from 2009 to 2011. He took over as the men’s volleyball head coach in 2012 and guided the team to an 88-31 overall record across four seasons. In 2013, he led the Cougars to MPSF regular season and tournament championships and an NCAA national runner-up finish. The following season, the Cougars reached the NCAA semifinals.
He then spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Netherlands women’s national team, before working with Athletes Unlimited in 2020.
He returned to the international stage in 2021, taking over as head coach for Japan during the 2021-2022 season. McGown joined the USA U23 National Collegiate team in 2024.
“One of the things you start to learn is that players, even though they’re professional, even though they kind of are held to this high standard of behavior and of discipline and all those things, they’re still individuals that are trying to be their best,” McGown said. “I think that’s the biggest thing that I’ve learned is you can learn so much from individual players, and just those interactions with the athletes have really shaped me. Every year I feel like I learn a little bit more, and I get a little bit more insight, and the experiences start to shape you in different directions …
“I think just the interactions with this really broad group of individuals who still want to be treated as individuals has been really formative.”
Now, McGown will have the chance to form connections with the fans and athletes in Omaha. He said he’s going to work hard to establish relationships with the players.
“I think everything about what we do as volleyball coaches is about relationships,” McGown said at his introductory press conference Tuesday afternoon. “We’re going to ask the athletes to work really hard, we’re going to ask them to make changes, we’re going to ask them to do things that they didn’t think they could do before. All of that doesn’t work if you don’t have the kind of relationship where you can make those asks, and you can push in the way you would like to push. So, creating those relationships, developing those relationships in a genuine, honest and sincere way, I think, is one of my biggest jobs.”
McGown is taking over an Omaha team that underwent a lot of change during the 2025-2026 season.
Last year, Omaha posted a 14-14 overall record. It fired first-year head coach Luka Slabe with six games left in the regular season. With interim coach Thomas Robson leading the way, the Supernovas rallied to reach the Major League Volleyball Championship where they fell to the Dallas Pulse in five sets.
“If there’s just one thing it’s we’re going to compete,” McGown said of what he wants the next Supernovas team to be known for. “That’s what I want our fans to see every time we step out on the floor. No matter what, no matter who, no matter the circumstances, we’re going to play and compete as hard we possibly can every single time.”
The fans are a big part of volleyball in Nebraska. They have helped grow the sport at every level and packed stadiums and arenas across the country. McGown said that he and Cook spoke about the team’s popularity before accepting the head coach position.
“I think what’s special about Omaha and the Supernovas is everybody cares,” McGown said. “The athletes care, the staff cares, the front office cares, the organization cares, the fans care, the community cares. It’s just the investment of emotion, of passion, of energy, of time, of everything that’s gone into the Omaha Supernovas. We were talking earlier, I think it’s not just unique in professional volleyball in the United States, but it might be unique in volleyball in the world. So the opportunity to be a part of that was almost a no-brainer.”
McGown said he’s coached in environments full of fans and those that were not. He said he’s excited to perform in the Supernovas atmosphere.
“I can tell you right now, our athletes, myself, our staff, we’re going to do everything we can to be great,” McGown said. “We’re going to work really, really hard. So to do that in front of a fan base that appreciates that work, that recognizes that work, that’s passionate about that work makes a huge difference in how we show up every day, I think, and the experience that our athletes have in competition and what we carry through into our day-to-day.”
McGown said he’s excited to continue to watch the sport grow across the country.
“The athletes talk about what a privilege it is to not have to go overseas, and to be here in their home country playing, and for me it’s the same thing,” McGown said. “To get to coach professionally in the United States, it is incredibly special. The idea that all of this is happening at a really early stage in the development of professional volleyball, to get to be a part of that is also incredibly special, and for me really meaningful.”
The Supernovas are retaining Robson and will look to hire a female coach ahead of next season. McGown said forming new relationships and competing has kept him motivated.
“I want to be great for everyone around,” McGown said. “I want to be great for our staff, I want to be great for our fans, I want to be great for our athletes. Let’s see where we can take this thing.”
