Ethel Walker SchoolJonathan Bui joins the Walker’s coaching staff as the head varsity coach for the 2020 season. Coach Bui comes to Walker’s with 10 years of coaching experience, including currently at the University of Saint Joseph, where he serves as assistant coach. Coach Bui is also extremely active with Husky Volleyball, one of the area’s most prominent volleyball clubs. He is excited to share his knowledge and passion for the game with the bright and motivated students of Walker’s.
Bui prioritizes the technical aspects of volleyball and learning that is guided by principles. In doing so, he has been able to breathe new life into programs that have historically struggled, and help numerous athletes under his guidance reach the next step.
In 2012, Bui took the reins of Capital Prep Trailblazers Volleyball, a program that finished 2-12, and a conference worse 0-10. Three years later, he transformed the program, helping three athletes achieve CSC All-Conference, finishing 17-3, a conference best 11-1, and taking home the 2015 CSC Central Championship as well as the 2015 CSC Tournament Championship.
Bui was also able to revitalize Bloomfield High School Boys Volleyball. Prior to his arrival, the program had accumulated a record of 2-56 over the last three seasons. Under Bui’s leadership in 2019, three years following his arrival, he mentored two players to All-Conference and All-Courant recognition, one of whom also achieved All-State, and All-State Academic honors. Bui led the Warhawks back into the postseason for the first time in 240 matches.
Bui also empowered his student-athletes to excel in the classroom, each year yielding an increasing number of participants with All-Academic honors (70%, 80%, and 86% respectively of program participants from ’17 – ’19). Additionally, twice in four years Bui had athletes named as the CAS-CIAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year, an award given to the most distinguished student-athlete in the graduating class with considerations to athletic and academic achievement.
In 2018, Bui joined the University of Hartford as an assistant coach where his primary responsibilities included training pin hitters and liberos, opponent scouting, and assisting in the development of defensive systems. Bui was part of a familial crusade that brought the Hawks to new heights, including a trip to the American East Conference Semifinal, ending a postseason drought of 22 years. The program’s best finish in years was but one of numerous unprecedented feats; the Hawks also named one of their own to the AVCA East All-Region team for the first time since 1992, and claimed the American East Conference Player of the Year, a title not owned by a Hawk since 1993.
While attending UConn, Bui played for the Club program which competed in NCVF Division 1 (nationally ranked in the top 48 among 400+ collegiate club programs). Bui graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English.
