Volleyball Coach Susan Wilde

Susan Wilde

Susan Wilde begins her second season with Bethany Lutheran College volleyball this year. Wilde is a 1991 graduate from Minnesota State University, Mankato, where she earned her teaching degree in social studies with a concentration in sociology. After graduating, Wilde took part in the Beginning Teacher Internship Program at Maple River High School from 1991-92 and she has been with the district ever since. In 1999, Wilde received her master’s in curriculum and instruction from MSU. Wilde resides in Amboy, MN, with her husband, Chad, and her three children: Marissa, Tanner and Ellie.

Wilde has been coaching volleyball since 1991, including high school, summer leagues, and Junior Olympic. Prior to Bethany, Wilde had been the head coach at Maple River High School where her teams won four Valley Conference championships with one runner-up finish. The Eagles were 20-9 and 24-5 in Wilde’s last two seasons, respectively. In her first year as head coach at Bethany, the Vikings finished with a 16-16 mark, 11-3 in conference play.

Assistant coach Joel Schmidt

Joel Schmidt, a native of Mapleton, Minn., begins his second year as part of the volleyball coaching staff with many years of experience behind him. Schmidt began coaching volleyball at the University of Minnesota-Waseca in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1992, Schmidt moved from coaching to officiating at both the high school and college levels and has been a volleyball official ever since.

Schmidt is employed by Truck Bodies and Equipment International, Inc. in Lake Crystal. He and his wife, Tracy, have two daughters, Kiersten and Amber.

Assistant coach Mike Walters

Mike Walters enters his first year as an assistant volleyball coach with the Vikings. A Good Thunder, Minn., native, Walters has been coaching volleyball since 1993, where he coached at the Junior Olympic level at White Bear Lake High School, leading his team to Nationals in his final year. In 1998, Walters moved to Hudson, Wis., where he was the head coach for Hudson High School. Walters returned to his Minnesota roots when he and his wife moved to Mankato in 2003. Walters took a coaching position at St. Clair High School where he coached for two years leading his team to the conference tournament both seasons. During his time at St. Clair, Walters was instrumental in starting a Junior Olympic program.

Walters and his wife then moved to Ohio in 2006 to fulfill a foster care position before returning to Mankato in 2007. Walters received his B.A. from American Military University and plans to pursue teaching high school or college in the future. In addition to his duties as an assistant coach, Walters also works for the DHL delivery company.

Assistant coach Joelle Shouts

Joelle Shouts enters her first year as an assistant volleyball coach. Shouts is no stranger to the Bethany volleyball court, playing four years for the Vikings and graduating in 2008. Shouts was a four-year letter winner, leading the team as captain in her junior and senior campaigns. As a senior, Shouts received first team all-conference and team MVP honors for leading the team in assists.

A native of Amboy, Minn., Shouts is also familiar with the coaching strategies of head coach Sue Wilde at the high school level after playing for her as a senior at Maple River.