New Jersey City University Athletics

Justin Beaumont, one of the all-time greats in New Jersey City University men’s volleyball history and an accomplished club coach with experience at all three NCAA levels, returned to his alma mater as head women’s volleyball coach on August 5, 2019. He is the 15th coach in the program’s 37-year history.
 
“This opportunity is a blessing and couldn’t come at a better time in my career,” said Beaumont. “I’m fully invested in returning my alma mater to the highest success level. There’s a good foundation laid here and I’m excited about helping to build the rest. I want to implement my culture and start to build a program that is recognized as a tough, gritty team on the court and a committed, successful team in the classroom—eventually being recognized nationally for both. It’s a process and I’m very confident that we can obtain these goals in a few years.” 
 
Shawn Tucker, Director of Athletics and Associate Vice President, added: “With Robert Cole moving into a compliance role after five years of coaching, we are happy to welcome Justin Beaumont back to NJCU. Since concluding a very successful playing career, Justin has run one of the top club programs in the state and he has gained valuable collegiate experience on all three NCAA levels. We believe the future is bright for our women’s volleyball program with him back on the sideline in Jersey City."
 
Beaumont, 31, has served as the general manager of the Sideout Sports Volleyball Club in Fairfield, N.J. since 2011. There he has helped develop one of the top club programs in the state of New Jersey. He is the manager of the national team program, designs developmental programs, and has been a recruiting coordinator and private training instructor. He also hires the clubs other coaches.
 
Most recently, Beaumont served as the assistant women’s volleyball coach and interim head women’s coach at Division I Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City in 2018. In just one season he helped the Peacocks improve from 0-25 in 2016 and 0-30 in 2017 to 9-25 in 2018. The highlight of the season came in the first round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship where eight-seeded Saint Peter’s upset fifth-seeded Marist, 3-1, for the program’s first postseason victory since 2006. SPU won its most matches in a season since 2008.
 
Robert Cole, who coached the program for five seasons from 2014-18, and will now shift into a new role as Director of Compliance, said: “NJCU is gaining a tremendous leader and coach in Justin Beaumont. He is a nationally-known recruiter and tactician that will grow this program exponentially. I’m supremely confident in the foundation that has been laid and can’t wait to see our new coaching staff make their mark with a great core of student-athletes. The women’s volleyball program is poised for immediate and long term success under Coach Beaumont’s tutelage.” 
 
Beaumont served as assistant coach at Division II Bloomfield College for five seasons from 2012-2016. He launched his collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Division II Felician University in 2011. Beaumont has worked the University of Michigan Volleyball camps since 2016.
 
Beaumont also is the owner and general manager of the Team Freedom Volleyball Club. Launched in 2016, the men’s team competes professionally, representing the New Jersey and New York regions in matches nationally. The Team Freedom women’s team plays on the semi-pro level. He manages the club’s player personnel, recruiting, hiring of coaches and oversees national travel.
 
Beaumont has served as a board member of the Garden Empire Volleyball Association (GEVA) since 2017, organizing adult tournaments throughout the region, determining rules and regulations and advising the club directors.
 
Previous coaching experience includes head girls’ coach for the Lady Chargers Volleyball Academy in Newark and three years of experience as a men’s assistant for the Warren Six Pack club, working with the setters and liberos and as a coach of the 17s girls national volleyball team for the Phoenix Volleyball Club in Wayne, N.J.
 
Christopher Feliciano, the head coach at the University of New Hampshire, and the all-time winningest coach in NJCU history (131-39, .771), who was the 2007 New Jersey Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, complimented the hire, saying: “NJCU now has one of the brightest young coaching stars in the country. He comes with experience in recruiting, game management, and has the desire to improve his craft. More importantly he has the work ethic and fortitude to bring the program back to greatness.”
 
On the court for NJCU, Beaumont was considered the heart and soul of the program. A four-year standout, he earned team co-captain roles as a junior (2012) and senior (2013) while playing both setter and opposite hitter. Despite being just 5-foot-6, considered small in volleyball, he overcame size by developing one of the highest vertical leaps of any player in the country at any level of the sport, exceeding 40 inches. He majored in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology.
 
A two-time First-Team All-Skyline Conference selection in 2012 and 2013, he could do it all on the court, Beaumont took home Skyline Player of the Week honors on February 20, 2012 and Honor Roll status on February 27, 2012 and February 25, 2013.
 
A three-time NJCU Athlete of the Week, he finished his career with tremendous all-around numbers while splitting time at two positions. In 117 matches and 394 sets, he produced 2,602 assists, 896.5 points, 680 digs, 666 kills, 188 blocks, including 39 solo rejections, and 117 service aces. He averaged 6.60 assists, 2.28 points, 1.73 digs, 1.69 kills, 0.48 blocks and 0.30 aces. He is third in school history in assists despite playing just part of his career at the position, third in service attempts and fifth in aces. 
 
He played the spring 2008 and 2009 seasons for NJCU before temporarily leaving the program, returning during the 2011-12 academic year to complete his career. He was a two-time North East Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) Metro Division Rookie of the Week (February 11 and March 25, 2008). As a freshman, he delivered 840 assists—a staggering 9.23 per set.
 
Behind Beaumont, NJCU had great success, winning 67 matches. As a sophomore, the team went 20-16 and advanced to the semifinals of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III South Tournament as the No. 3 seed. The program has not won 20 matches in a season since. When he returned to the program, NJCU, now in a new conference, made back-to-back appearances in the Skyline Conference Tournament, reaching the semifinals both years. The Knights also advanced to the ECAC Semifinals again his senior season in 2013, finishing with a 19-17 ledger. 
 
He played for three head coaches in his career—Carlo Edra (2008-09), Kevin Rodgers (2012) and Ray Vance (2013). Rodgers is now the highly-successful head coach at Division II East Stroudsburg. He also was a two-year letterwinner on the NJCU men’s golf team as a junior and senior.
 
A 2007 graduate of Bayonne High School, Beaumont was a three-sport athlete for the Bees, playing three seasons of varsity volleyball for Coach Patricia Longo. He was honored as the 2007 H.C.I.A.A. Player of the Year and was a two-time First-Team All-Hudson County selection as a junior and senior. He was named Second-Team All-State in 2007 as a senior at outside hitter. He was named MVP of the 2007 H.C.I.A.A. championship match against St. Peter’s Prep, won by Bayonne, and led the Bees to the 2006 and 2007 HCIAA titles, defeating St. Peter’s Prep each season. He led Bayonne to the 2007 NJSIAA state semifinals and the No. 2 overall seed in the North bracket, before falling to St. Peter’s Prep in the North final (25-17, 25-20). Beaumont played in the 2007 New Jersey State Coaches Association boys volleyball All-Star showcase, starting as an outside hitter. He finished his high school career with 564 kills, 542 digs, 294 blocks and 128 service aces. He also played three years of basketball for Coach Jack Hladik (2005-07) and one year of football for Coach Frank Blunder. His club team was Warren Six Pack, playing three seasons for Coach Fred Siegel.
 
Beaumont currently resides in Fairfield, N.J. He is the father of a 10-year-old daughter, Isabel.
 
COLLEGE TRANSACTION: 
 
NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY—Named Justin Beaumont head women’s volleyball coach.