Jonathan Paulk, JP, is the head coach at Shaw University in downtown Raleigh. To find a game to go watch, click on the Shaw schedule here.
JP is entering his fifth year at Shaw University, repeating as the CIAA regular season champs in 2021 and 2022. Shaw has made it to the CIAA conference tournament finals in every season that Coach Paulk has been at the helm. In Shaw’s 2019 season, JP mentored his right side, Tyler Hunter, to top all NCAA division 1 and 2 players in aces per set with 0.60. In addition, his setter received the Conference Setter of the Year award and 5 players made the All Conference teams. In back to back seasons, JP led the team as a whole to the top of the country’s aces per set leader board with 2.71 in 2021 and 2.75 in 2022. In 2021, newcomers Breelyn Clark and Mallory Brown won the CIAA Setter of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year awards respectively with 4 players making First Team All Conference. This past season, Breelyn Clark repeated as the CIAA Setter of the Year and Noelani Beard earned CIAA Offensive Player of the Year while 5 other Shaw players earned First, Second, or Rookie All Conference nods. JP has a 58-24 win-loss record while at Shaw.
JP comes to Shaw after a year at Louisburg College. While at Louisburg, JP led the hurricane’s volleyball team to a 4th place finish in Region X volleyball and a tournament berth, the highest ranking Louisburg had accomplished in more than a decade. In addition to his volleyball duties at Louisburg, JP was the Sports Information Director and maintained the athletics website.
Prior to Louisburg, he served as an Assistant Coach at North Carolina Central University where his primary on-court responsibilities included training the outside hitters and focusing on offensive scheme and blocking structure. Off the court JP was a primary recruiter, scouted opponents, and arranged video exchange.
JP started his coaching career in the club world back in 2013 and spent the 2017-2022 years growing Carolina Edge. The club started off with 4 teams in its first season and steadily grew to having 11 teams in 21/22. Prior to Edge, JP had a three year stint as head coach of 18 Diamond, 15 Diamond, and 16 Crystal at NC Academy while assisting 16 Diamond and 17 Crystal.
Paulk is a graduate of NC State with a BS in Accounting. While at State, he was the president of the Men’s Club Volleyball Team and was voted team mvp and selected honorable mention to the NCVF National Tournament Team as a setter.
Jonathan Paulk won the 2016 Collegiate Beach National Championships in Santa Monica, California and earned his AA rating with a win the following day in a CBVA adult tournament.
JP is a true believer in pushing players to learn higher level technique and tactics at younger ages. He wants to expose athletes to systems and tactics that push them to grow intellectually and creatively within volleyball. JP strives to maintain a high-intensity and competition filled practice every time he steps on the court.
