Volleyball Coach Julie Ibieta to be Inducted into NHSACA Hall of Fame

Great coaches do more than teach the rules of a game. They shape character, foster resilience, and build cultures of sustained excellence. Coach Julie Ibieta has spent decades demonstrating exactly what this looks like on the volleyball court.

This June, the National High School Athletic Coaches Association (NHSACA) will induct Coach Ibieta into its Hall of Fame in Iowa, as part of the Class of 2026, honoring 36 outstanding coaches. Selected by the Louisiana Coaches Association, this national recognition honors Coach Ibieta’s extraordinary longevity, service, and consistent success in high school athletics.

Before her Hall of Fame coaching career, Coach Ibieta was an outstanding volleyball player at Louisiana State University from 1988 to 1991. She was named the SEC Freshman of the Year in 1988, earned First-Team All-SEC honors three times, and helped lead the Tigers to the NCAA Final Four in 1990 and 1991, serving as team captain her senior year.

Transitioning from elite player to coach, Ibieta readily adapted her leadership for the sidelines, relying on patience, clear communication, and deep dedication to her athletes.

Ibieta began her coaching career in collegiate volleyball, starting as a student assistant for LSU Women's Volleyball in 1992. From 1993 to 1996, she was an assistant coach at the University of Kentucky, where she learned to recruit elite talent and navigate the demands of Division I athletics.

In 1997, she took her first head coaching job at UNC Charlotte, leading the program for two years before returning to Louisiana. From 1999 to 2004, Ibieta was Head Women's Volleyball Coach at the University of New Orleans (UNO), earning Louisiana Sports Writers Coach of the Year honors in 2000.

In 2005, Coach Ibieta took over as head volleyball coach at Metairie Park Country Day School, a move that would transform Louisiana high school volleyball. Establishing a championship program is significant, but sustaining that excellence for two decades is a legendary feat. Coach Ibieta recognizes and is grateful for the steadfast commitment of her long-time coaching staff at Country Day—Myra Bordelon, Dana Launey, and Lauren Leaumont—whose tenure with Ibieta is a key factor in the program’s sustained success throughout the years. 

Starting in 2006, her teams won the District Championship. They went on to win it again the next year and each year since, resulting in 20 consecutive District Championships from 2006-2025.

From 2009 to 2014, Country Day captured six straight LHSAA Division V State Championships. The team won the state title every year from 2016 through 2025, giving Coach Ibieta 16 state championships in the past 17 years.

A high school coach deals with complete roster turnover every four years. To win consistently, a coach must develop young talent rapidly and instill a winning mindset across different generations of teenagers. Ibieta created an environment where expectations are high, but support is absolute. Her athletes play with joy, precision, and an unyielding commitment to the team.

She has earned District Coach of the Year honors for 20 straight years, been named Division 5 Coach of the Year by the Louisiana Volleyball Coaches Association (LVCA) and LHSAA 13 times, is a five-time NOLA.com Small School Coach of the Year, and was recognized as the All State Sugar Bowl Greater New Orleans Girls Prep Coach of the Year for 2020-2021. 

She has guided many athletes to collegiate volleyball, including three AVCA All-Americans: Lia Beverly '25, Ellie Schneider '2,3 and Nia Washington ‘22.

Julie’s family as a whole displays an incredible passion for and success in their athletic endeavors. Her husband, Juan Ibieta, was a standout baseball player at Tulane University. Together, they have raised three children, all Country Day graduates, who have all pursued collegiate athletics. 

Their daughter, Jenna Ibieta '17, played volleyball at Tulane University and is now the Head Volleyball Coach at Loyola for Indoor and Beach. Their son, Justin '20, is a former Tulane Football Quarterback and now serves as a graduate assistant with Tulane Football, and their youngest son, Jake '23, is currently a member of the LSU Football team.