Goluba digs into interim head coaching role with Glenwood High volleyball
Glenwood Springs Post Independent
There simply wasn’t enough time to find another coach.
When Glenwood Springs High School volleyball coach Kehau Rust left in the middle of summer camp, the team returned home with no one at the helm and just two weeks until the season started. Lynn Goluba, a GSHS physical education teacher, parent volunteer and long-time assistant coach across multiple sports, stepped up to fill the void.
“I wanted it to be a great experience for the kids coming off the heels of COVID and a crazy couple of seasons for them,” Goluba said. “I just wanted it to be as normal as possible.”
Goluba canceled a couple end-of-summer trips and got to work on the court along with C-team coach Brittani Chilson and junior varsity coach Katie Winder.
On Aug. 19, they traveled to Aspen and narrowly fell to the Skiers, 3-2, in a back-and-forth affair. Following a three-match run through the Demon Invitational from Sept. 2-4, the Demons stand at 2-5 under their temporary coach. GSHS swept Grand Junction on the road 3-0 on Aug. 24 and Grand Valley in the tournament, 2-0 on Sept. 4.
For the immediate future, the plan is to build on a foundation and bridge the gap to the next head coach. Goluba says she has no plans to keep the role beyond the fall season but can still serve as a mentor in the classroom and beyond.
“We can have the communication about what the expectation is for the program in the future,” Goluba said. “I feel that if I can get the finances under control and the expectations of these athletes, what a well-run program can look like, hopefully I can set the standard for that. I’m still going to be here in the building and I will be more than happy to mentor along the way.”
Goluba came to Glenwood Springs High School in 1997. She joined Sandy DeCrow’s volleyball staff around the turn of the century and also assisted with cheerleading and track and field.
These days, however, she has kept to the classroom and gym. Citing burnout of the coaching schedule, she gave up committed roles on coaching staffs, opting for the more flexible parent-volunteer style of involvement. She currently teaches health, women’s fitness, women’s strength and conditioning and women’s team sports. Her certifications include ZUMBA, CrossFit and National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Her biggest contribution to the volleyball program will be in the work ethic and conditioning departments in the eyes of GSHS athletic director Craig Denney.
“Every time I go into the gym, everyone’s busy,” Denney said. “The girls are always at work. No one is standing around.”
Goluba is tasked with leaving an impression on a group that will represent the Demons on the court for years to come. Goluba said the team has just four seniors, and only two are getting significant playing time. Three juniors and four sophomores are on the varsity roster, including Goluba’s daughter, Rilyn, which added another wrinkle to the mix.
“My husband and I have both coached for many years and we agreed that we never really wanted to coach our own kids because of the issues that come with that,” Goluba said. “Rilyn is a very mature 15-year-old and she saw that it was the best fit. She’s excited to have me as part of the program and she’s very supportive of me.”
A full search for the next head coach will begin once the season concludes, Goluba said. She will then move back to teaching, with retirement in Florida on the horizon.
The Demons travel to Coal Ridge on Tuesday and begin league play on Friday at Battle Mountain.
