Good Sports: Couple returns to Valley, adjusts to coaching separate volleyball teams

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — For a long time, Mark and Leisa Rosen have been coaching collectively for a similar packages.

Now, they’ve every obtained their very own.

“I had been an associate head coach for a really long time, and I wanted the opportunity to be in charge,” Leisa stated.

The pair spent over 20 years coaching on the University of Michigan earlier than returning to the place a part of their story started: the Central Valley.

“Lisa started looking at jobs and interviewing for jobs, and one of the jobs was Fresno State, which is ironic because we got married in the Valley,” Mark stated. “Now, 30-some years later, we’re back in the Valley.”

Leisa has been Fresno State’s head volleyball coach since 2023.

Mark has been out of the sport since transferring again, till this previous season.

Back in 2025, Clovis Community College was beginning a brand-new program. The Crush was searching for their first chief.

“For me, to do something fresh and new that I’ve never done before, it was kind of a cool challenge,” Mark stated. “We were trying to recruit players with literally nothing and get them to buy into the vision.”

It’s the primary time the Rosen’s aren’t sharing the identical bench.

While there are a ton of variations between DI and the junior faculty ranks, Leisa and Mark nonetheless have the identical objectives.

“I think we always start with home first,” Lisa stated. “Some of our best players right now are local kids. If we can get some of those local kids to stay home, it helps us in every avenue.”

“Obviously, if they progress and advance well enough, one of our ultimate goals would be to have a player come from our program to Leisa’s program,” Mark stated. “We can have this progression within our family. Even that’s going to help Central Valley volleyball be better.”

Mark nonetheless stays shut to Leisa’s program — simply not with a whistle. He is a part of the published crew for Bulldog volleyball.

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