Out volleyball coach Anders Nelson is resurrecting Vanderbilt’s program after

With each passing day, Anders Nelson is moving closer towards his big moment. The out volleyball coach signed on with Vanderbilt University in December 2022 to resurrect the school’s defunct program, and is laying out his vision for their first game back next August.

The first batch of athletes are coming to campus this summer, which will start the unofficial clock. The situation would be an incredible opportunity for any coach: the chance to rebuild a storied program from scratch is akin to some sort of coaching fantasy camp.

But the moment is especially sweet for Nelson, who joins a growing list of visible out LGBTQ+ figures in the sport. Yes, he wants to win. But he also wants to build community.

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“The things you think about as a coach are winning. That’s how you keep your job, that’s how you enjoy your job. It’s how the community can really get behind you,” he said this week in an interview with Nashville’s WKRN. “But the other thing I’m excited about is watching our athletes go through the Vanderbilt experience, and seeing what they can do when they graduate. One of the reasons I wanted this job is because I knew this university prepares talented people for what’s next.”

Nelson knew what was next for him in 2014, when he was a volleyball player himself at Ball State University. That’s when then-Missouri defensive end Michael Sam publicly came out, finally providing Nelson with an out male athlete to learn from.

But Nelson still wasn’t sure if he could take the step himself. It took a drastic life event for him to shift his perspective.

His epiphany arrived while he was caring for an ailing friend. The experience taught Nelson that his time on Earth is precious, and fleeting. He came out shortly thereafter, and it’s been an incredible journey ever since.

“I realized my sexuality wasn’t a problem. It wasn’t a health issue. It wasn’t something that was holding me back,” he told me in an interview. “[My friend] honestly put that in perspective for me.”

Since then, Nelson has been unstoppable. He enjoyed a sensational 11-year run at Kentucky, where the Wildcats reached the NCAA Tournament every season. In Nelsons’ seven seasons as an associate coach, they amassed a record of 117-11 in official SEC matches and won at least a share of six conference titles.

The pinnacle of their run came in April 2021, when they defeated former national champions Washington and Texas in the Final Four to capture the first volleyball national title in SEC history.

Nelson’s resume made him a hot coaching candidate, and the perfect target for Vanderbilt. He was young enough to lead the program for years to come, but also experienced enough to compete in the nation’s preeminent sports conference.

The…