Omaha Supernovas interim coach Laura ‘Bird’ Kuhn 'grateful' for chance to lead inaugural season (2024)

The inaugural year in the Pro Volleyball Federation was never going to be predictable.

That didn’t matter to Laura “Bird” Kuhn.

“My whole reason for doing this was to be a part of the first season for our sport and for these athletes,” Kuhn said.

The Omaha Supernovas were one of seven franchises starting from scratch in the country’s lone conventional pro volleyball league — also starting from scratch — and a big dose of unexpected happened after Omaha’s first two matches.

Kuhn was the first assistant hired by coach Shelton Collier, whom she played for at Georgia Tech in the early 2000s. But after starting the season 1-1, Collier moved out of the head coaching role and into an advisory position.

Kuhn was tabbed interim coach to finish the season.

Kuhn — who got her nickname from her father thanks to her “bird legs” growing up — built a résumé at the college ranks after her playing days. She was SEC coach of the year at Texas A&M in 2019 and AVCA national assistant of the year at Kansas in 2015, when the Jayhawks made the Final Four.

KU lost that national semifinal to eventual champ Nebraska in Omaha. On the radio call that match was Diane Mendenhall, a former player at Kansas.

Years later, Mendenhall is now team president of the Supernovas. She helped Collier with the early transitions and assembling his assistants.

Kuhn came to mind, and she was available after being let go by the Aggies after the 2022 season.

“When she left Texas A&M, she thought she’d never coach again,” Mendenhall said. “She’s like, ‘I’ve had that experience, I really want to go into administration.’”

Then the new opportunity brought her to Omaha. And another brought her to the head coaching role.

Still, Kuhn said, she was hesitant with the timing and logistics. Her experience, though, meant it wasn’t a completely new transition. The role also came without the recruiting and other various responsibilities unique to college jobs.

“Basically, you get the opportunity to do what you love, and that’s coach,” Mendenhall said of her coaching pitch. “And so posing it to her where she actually got this opportunity to finish off the season and lead this team and somewhat test drive it.

“And it’s worked out wonderfully because I know, and she’s affirmed this, too, that it’s something that she really, really enjoys.”

Originally in charge of player relations, Kuhn describes herself as a “player’s coach,” and is quick to express happiness with the athletes and staff when discussing the transition to her current position.

“It’s fun working with these athletes, coaching these matches,” Kuhn said. “I mean, every job has its things around it that you have to manage. ... But I have enjoyed it, especially with this group.”

Her favorite part has been the road trips, something she has enjoyed since her playing days.

The team has traveled to the other six cities in the PVF, but Kuhn said a recent trip to San Diego stands out.

“I think it’s because we’ve been together longer but this last one in San Diego — they are hysterical,” she said. “It’s refreshing to see a group that gets along and enjoys being around each other like that.”

As to be expected with a pro league, there’s a wide range in age and experience on the roster. That hasn’t been an obstacle for the Supernovas getting along, and Kuhn credits the players for that.

While the coach says she’s a direct communicator and structures things as needed, practice is fairly free-flowing.

It seems to be producing results on the court. With eight matches left, the Supernovas are 11-5 and second in the standings. They’re 3½ games ahead of third place and two behind the Atlanta Vibe going into Saturday’s match in Atlanta.

“I’m proud of this team for their resilience, and their urgency, and how they compete,” Kuhn said. “I know we’ve had a couple of matches where it’s been pretty off and we haven’t quite been able to figure it out. But the depth and their communication with each other and how they compete together has been something that we’ve focused on.”