University of St. Thomas Athletics
Staff Directory
Pham, Thanh
Thanh Pham
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- Phone:
- 651-962-5912
Awards & Achievements
Thanh Pham built a nationally-elite Division III program over his first 18 seasons, and now he's busy leading his program's historic transition into Division I volleyball.
Pham, who is on his way to coaching his 700th match during the 2025 season, completed his 22nd year as head coach of St. Thomas volleyball in 2024. That puts him first in tenure among the nine Summit league head coaches at their schools.
At the NCAA Division III level, Pham's squads accumulated a 456-122 (.789) record over 18 seasons, including one NCAA championships (2012).
In its most successful Division I season to date, St. Thomas Volleyball recorded 18 wins—becoming one of just six teams since 2011 to reach that mark during a D-I transition—and notched its first-ever win over a Power Four opponent with a 3-1 victory against Iowa. The Tommies went 8-3 in non-conference play, capturing three straight tournament titles, and finished 3-1 against the Summit League's top postseason teams—ending regular-season champion South Dakota State's perfect 22-0 start and sweeping tournament champion South Dakota. Sophomore setter Morgan Kealy earned the program’s first Summit League Setter of the Year honor and surpassed 1,000 career assists, while Lauren Galvin reached 1,000 career kills. The team led the Summit League in digs and ranked top three in opponent hitting percentage, assists per set, and kills per set. St. Thomas also earned a league-best three All-Summit First Team selections, added two honorable mentions, and celebrated its fourth consecutive All-Freshman Team honoree.
Under Pham's guidance, the Tommies continued to improve their win total in 2023 despite a plague of injuries from some of their main starters. St. Thomas mainly featured a starting lineup of underclassmen, including three sophomores and two true freshmen, that finished with three more wins than the previous year. The Purple clinched their first reverse sweep in the Division I era, a 3-2 win over 18-win North Dakota State, before securing Summit League wins over North Dakota at home and Oral Roberts on the road. During non-conference play, St. Thomas earned wins over 14-win California Baptist at the Tommie Volleyball Invitational Tournament and 15-win Central Michigan.
The program saw two of its best single-season performances in the DI era as sophomore libero Ella Voegele finished with the program's most total digs and freshman setter Morgan Kealy totaled the most assists over the past three seasons. Voegele also recorded the Tommies' most digs in a single match during the DI era with 33 to close the season, leading to Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week honors. Voegele and senior Claire Ricard both were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team.
Now there's a new challenge at the Division I level. St. Thomas had the youngest volleyball squad in the Summit League in the 2022 season, and one of the youngest teams across Division I. His roster had just one senior and three juniors plus 16 sophomores and freshmen. The Toms improved one victory over their 2021 season total as their second fall of Division I play, but the Purple continue to improve and compete at a high level. They picked up non-conference wins at 14-win Montana State and 18-win Saint Louis, and swept Western Illinois in conference play. Both wins against Western Illinois came in straight sets.
Emma Goerger and Tezra Rudzitis made the conference seven-player All-Freshman Team. Goerger was one of four Toms to play in all 30 matches and ranked ninth in the Summit with 0.97 blocks per set and 24th with 2.67 points per set. She had 101 total blocks and 195 total kills. Rudzitis played in 28 matches with 21 starts and was second for St. Thomas with 2.07 kills per set (190 total kills). Pham had four Tommies that earned selections to the CSC Academic All-District Team in Ellie Dammann, Lauren Galvin, Claire Ricard and Carrie Rutledge.
In 2021, the team's first season competing at the Division I level, the Tommies endured the expected learning curve. Their first Division I win came at Incarnate Word. The first conference win for the Purple came at home in a 3-2 victory over North Dakota. The team's other Summit League win came at North Dakota (Oct. 30). Pham coached the team's first Summit League All-Freshman Team selection in Lauren Galvin.
Under Pham, the D-III Tommies were ranked in the AVCA Top-25 for 120 of 121 consecutive polls from 2005-2015. He guided St. Thomas to three consecutive trips to the eight-team nationals from 2010-2012, capped by its first national championship in 2012. A 3-2, comeback victory over Calvin (Mich.) helped the Tommies became the first MIAC institution to capture the national volleyball crown. Pham coached 19 All-Americans across the 18 seasons. The Purple earned 12 MIAC titles and 14 NCAA playoff berths across the Division III-era with Pham at the helm. Nine times, the Tommies received a team academic award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) for having a team GPA above 3.30 for a school year. Four times, a Tommie received CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades.
A 13-0 run against conference opponents helped the 2019 Toms sweep the league regular season and playoff crowns in a 30-5 overall finish.
The 2018 Tommies again won 25 games, matching their 2017-win output, and reached the NCAA playoffs.
The 2017 Tommies won the conference title and reached the NCAA playoffs with a 25-7 finish.
In 2016, St. Thomas returned to the NCAA playoffs after receiving an at-large berth. They tied for second place in the conference and finished the season with a 22-9 record.
The 2014 Tommies shared the MIAC championship and won the MIAC playoff title to advance to the NCAA playoffs. They dropped a first-round game to finish 24-7 on the year. It was the eighth year in a row that St. Thomas won or shared the MIAC championship.
St. Thomas shared the MIAC championship in 2010. In the regional tournament, the Tommies won 26 of its last 30 matches before heading into the national tournament in St. Louis, Mo., with all six defeats coming to teams with 28 or more victories.
St. Thomas shared the conference championship and returned to the NCAA Regional finals in 2009 with a 26-8 finish. Emily Foster was named conference's Player of the Year and repeated as All-American.
In 2008, the Toms lost a five-set decision in the NCAA playoffs and finished 28-3, including a 14-0 mark against conference foes. McCaffrey repeated as All-American, and sophomore setter Emily Foster also made the All-American team.
The 2007 Tommies’ 28-5 record included a 14-0 record against conference foes. Junior Katie McCaffrey received All-America honors, and Pham was named NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year.
The 2006 Tommies finished 29-7, returned to the NCAA playoffs, and were ranked 11th in the final Division III poll. Led by senior All-American Rachelle Dosch, they placed third in the MIAC.
St. Thomas broke a long NCAA playoff drought in 2005 as it advanced to the region finals in a 30-7 finish. Pham's team won all 15 matches against conference foes and swept the MIAC regular season and playoff titles. Erika Wetzel earned All-America honors, becoming the third player in three seasons under Pham to receive the honor.
Pham has also worked as a Junior Olympic coach for more than a dozen seasons, the latter years as head coach at Minnesota One and of the Wayzata 17-1s. He also has served as the Wayzata Middle School volleyball coach and has a background as a camp instructor and clinician.
A 1997 Augsburg College graduate, Pham coached seven seasons in the Auggies' program. He was an assistant coach as an undergraduate from 1994-97, then was Augsburg's Interim and Co-Head Coach from 1998-2000. He also competed for three seasons in the Auggies' nationally-renown wrestling program. Pham also has a master's degree from St. Mary's.
Thanh Pham Year-By Year
- 2012 NCAA Division III Volleyball Champion
- 7-time MIAC Playoff Tournament Champion (2005, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019)
- 6-time MIAC Coach of the Year (2005, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2017, 2019)
- 14-time NCAA Division III National Qualifier
- 12-time MIAC Regular Season Champion
- 2013 Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee
Thanh Pham built a nationally-elite Division III program over his first 18 seasons, and now he's busy leading his program's historic transition into Division I volleyball.
Pham, who is on his way to coaching his 700th match during the 2025 season, completed his 22nd year as head coach of St. Thomas volleyball in 2024. That puts him first in tenure among the nine Summit league head coaches at their schools.
At the NCAA Division III level, Pham's squads accumulated a 456-122 (.789) record over 18 seasons, including one NCAA championships (2012).
In its most successful Division I season to date, St. Thomas Volleyball recorded 18 wins—becoming one of just six teams since 2011 to reach that mark during a D-I transition—and notched its first-ever win over a Power Four opponent with a 3-1 victory against Iowa. The Tommies went 8-3 in non-conference play, capturing three straight tournament titles, and finished 3-1 against the Summit League's top postseason teams—ending regular-season champion South Dakota State's perfect 22-0 start and sweeping tournament champion South Dakota. Sophomore setter Morgan Kealy earned the program’s first Summit League Setter of the Year honor and surpassed 1,000 career assists, while Lauren Galvin reached 1,000 career kills. The team led the Summit League in digs and ranked top three in opponent hitting percentage, assists per set, and kills per set. St. Thomas also earned a league-best three All-Summit First Team selections, added two honorable mentions, and celebrated its fourth consecutive All-Freshman Team honoree.
Under Pham's guidance, the Tommies continued to improve their win total in 2023 despite a plague of injuries from some of their main starters. St. Thomas mainly featured a starting lineup of underclassmen, including three sophomores and two true freshmen, that finished with three more wins than the previous year. The Purple clinched their first reverse sweep in the Division I era, a 3-2 win over 18-win North Dakota State, before securing Summit League wins over North Dakota at home and Oral Roberts on the road. During non-conference play, St. Thomas earned wins over 14-win California Baptist at the Tommie Volleyball Invitational Tournament and 15-win Central Michigan.
The program saw two of its best single-season performances in the DI era as sophomore libero Ella Voegele finished with the program's most total digs and freshman setter Morgan Kealy totaled the most assists over the past three seasons. Voegele also recorded the Tommies' most digs in a single match during the DI era with 33 to close the season, leading to Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week honors. Voegele and senior Claire Ricard both were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District team.
Now there's a new challenge at the Division I level. St. Thomas had the youngest volleyball squad in the Summit League in the 2022 season, and one of the youngest teams across Division I. His roster had just one senior and three juniors plus 16 sophomores and freshmen. The Toms improved one victory over their 2021 season total as their second fall of Division I play, but the Purple continue to improve and compete at a high level. They picked up non-conference wins at 14-win Montana State and 18-win Saint Louis, and swept Western Illinois in conference play. Both wins against Western Illinois came in straight sets.
Emma Goerger and Tezra Rudzitis made the conference seven-player All-Freshman Team. Goerger was one of four Toms to play in all 30 matches and ranked ninth in the Summit with 0.97 blocks per set and 24th with 2.67 points per set. She had 101 total blocks and 195 total kills. Rudzitis played in 28 matches with 21 starts and was second for St. Thomas with 2.07 kills per set (190 total kills). Pham had four Tommies that earned selections to the CSC Academic All-District Team in Ellie Dammann, Lauren Galvin, Claire Ricard and Carrie Rutledge.
In 2021, the team's first season competing at the Division I level, the Tommies endured the expected learning curve. Their first Division I win came at Incarnate Word. The first conference win for the Purple came at home in a 3-2 victory over North Dakota. The team's other Summit League win came at North Dakota (Oct. 30). Pham coached the team's first Summit League All-Freshman Team selection in Lauren Galvin.
Under Pham, the D-III Tommies were ranked in the AVCA Top-25 for 120 of 121 consecutive polls from 2005-2015. He guided St. Thomas to three consecutive trips to the eight-team nationals from 2010-2012, capped by its first national championship in 2012. A 3-2, comeback victory over Calvin (Mich.) helped the Tommies became the first MIAC institution to capture the national volleyball crown. Pham coached 19 All-Americans across the 18 seasons. The Purple earned 12 MIAC titles and 14 NCAA playoff berths across the Division III-era with Pham at the helm. Nine times, the Tommies received a team academic award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) for having a team GPA above 3.30 for a school year. Four times, a Tommie received CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades.
A 13-0 run against conference opponents helped the 2019 Toms sweep the league regular season and playoff crowns in a 30-5 overall finish.
The 2018 Tommies again won 25 games, matching their 2017-win output, and reached the NCAA playoffs.
The 2017 Tommies won the conference title and reached the NCAA playoffs with a 25-7 finish.
In 2016, St. Thomas returned to the NCAA playoffs after receiving an at-large berth. They tied for second place in the conference and finished the season with a 22-9 record.
The 2014 Tommies shared the MIAC championship and won the MIAC playoff title to advance to the NCAA playoffs. They dropped a first-round game to finish 24-7 on the year. It was the eighth year in a row that St. Thomas won or shared the MIAC championship.
St. Thomas shared the MIAC championship in 2010. In the regional tournament, the Tommies won 26 of its last 30 matches before heading into the national tournament in St. Louis, Mo., with all six defeats coming to teams with 28 or more victories.
St. Thomas shared the conference championship and returned to the NCAA Regional finals in 2009 with a 26-8 finish. Emily Foster was named conference's Player of the Year and repeated as All-American.
In 2008, the Toms lost a five-set decision in the NCAA playoffs and finished 28-3, including a 14-0 mark against conference foes. McCaffrey repeated as All-American, and sophomore setter Emily Foster also made the All-American team.
The 2007 Tommies’ 28-5 record included a 14-0 record against conference foes. Junior Katie McCaffrey received All-America honors, and Pham was named NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year.
The 2006 Tommies finished 29-7, returned to the NCAA playoffs, and were ranked 11th in the final Division III poll. Led by senior All-American Rachelle Dosch, they placed third in the MIAC.
St. Thomas broke a long NCAA playoff drought in 2005 as it advanced to the region finals in a 30-7 finish. Pham's team won all 15 matches against conference foes and swept the MIAC regular season and playoff titles. Erika Wetzel earned All-America honors, becoming the third player in three seasons under Pham to receive the honor.
Pham has also worked as a Junior Olympic coach for more than a dozen seasons, the latter years as head coach at Minnesota One and of the Wayzata 17-1s. He also has served as the Wayzata Middle School volleyball coach and has a background as a camp instructor and clinician.
A 1997 Augsburg College graduate, Pham coached seven seasons in the Auggies' program. He was an assistant coach as an undergraduate from 1994-97, then was Augsburg's Interim and Co-Head Coach from 1998-2000. He also competed for three seasons in the Auggies' nationally-renown wrestling program. Pham also has a master's degree from St. Mary's.
Thanh Pham Year-By Year
| Division III Totals | |||
| Year | Overall | MIAC | Place |
| 2003 | 24-6 | 10-6 | 1st |
| 2004 | 20-14 | 8-3 | Tie 3rd |
| 2005 | 30-7 | 11-0 | 1st |
| 2006 | 29-7 | 7-4 | Tie 3rd |
| 2007 | 29-5 | 14-0 | 1st |
| 2008 | 28-3 | 14-0 | 1st |
| 2009 | 26-8 | 10-1 | Tie 1st |
| 2010 | 31-7 | 10-1 | Tie 1st |
| 2011 | 32-5 | 10-1 | Tie 1st |
| 2012 | 40-1 | 11-0 | 1st |
| 2013 | 30-3 | 10-1 | Tie 1st |
| 2014 | 24-7 | 10-1 | Tie 1st |
| 2015 | 9-17 | 4-7 | Tie 8th |
| 2016 | 22-9 | 9-2 | Tie 2nd |
| 2017 | 25-7 | 10-1 | 1st |
| 2018 | 25-9 | 9-2 | 3rd |
| 2019 | 30-5 | 11-0 | 1st |
| 2020 | 3-2 | 3-2 | |
| 456-122 (.789) | 171-32 (.842) | ||
| Division I Totals | |||
| 2021 | 3-25 | 2-16 | 9th |
| 2022 | 4-26 | 2-16 | 9th |
| 2023 | 7-20 | 3-13 | 8th |
| 2024 | 18-10 | 10-6 | 3rd |
| 32-81 (.283) | 17-51 (.250) | ||
| Career Totals | |||
| 486-203 (.705) | 188-83 (.694) |
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