After finishing a sterling career playing volleyball at the University of Arkansas, Hannah Hogue will get to remain a Razorback – albeit in a new role.
Hogue, who was also a volleyball and softball standout at Southside High School, has now transitioned to an assistant coach at Arkansas, joining head coach Jason Watson’s staff after having played for the Razorbacks from 2021-24.
Coaching was not really on Hogue’s mind when she was still playing at Arkansas last fall. But after not getting drafted to play professionally in the United States, Hogue decided to pivot in another direction after a talk with Watson.
“I told him I was really content with my (playing) career, and felt like it was time for me to move on and go do other things,” Hogue said. “I was getting my masters and finishing that up. Then to get into coaching, it was Christmas break, and I thought, you know, if I want to coach, I better do it now instead of getting out and trying to come back later. And so I asked (Watson) if I could be a graduate assistant.”
Watson did just that, giving Hogue a graduate assistant role in the spring. Then during the summer, an assistant coach resigned, and Watson immediately promoted Hogue to take over.
“It all worked out,” Hogue said. “You know, I went into work the first day, and I just started laughing, because I just thought about, when I was 14, committing (to Arkansas), and then the whole journey to get here. I just never thought that I’d be walking up the steps to an office as an assistant coach. So that’s really, really cool.”
Hogue will primarily work with the setters in her new role, the position she played at Arkansas. She finished her career with 3,056 assists, sixth-most in program history, along with 1,031 digs and 108 service aces. In her junior season, 2023, Hogue became the team’s primary setter and helped lead the Razorbacks to their first-ever appearance in the Elite Eight of the NCAA volleyball tournament while earning All-SEC and honorable mention All-America honors.
Hogue developed a love of coaching after her brief role as a graduate assistant in the spring.
“I really enjoyed being in the gym every day and getting to be around the players, and I felt like I could bring some value in that area,” she said. “So it was a learning experience, and I really enjoyed it.”
Though she really didn’t express an interest in coaching until nearly six months ago, Hogue at times felt like she was a coach on the court during her playing career.
“What’s really interesting about our program is that I felt like a coach while I was playing, and, you know, they did too,” she said. “I think about my junior year, like those upperclassmen, they could (lean on her for advice), just in practice and stuff. … And so it was actually really smooth sailing, going from a player to coach, because they trained and our relationship won’t change that much, other than I’m not going to go hang out with them anymore, but in the gym, it felt very similar.”
Likewise, Hogue also will have an easier transition working alongside Watson, going back to Hogue’s playing days.
“He has this incredible amount of patience that he works really hard to have,” Hogue said. “His main priority is making sure that the athletes are getting the best version of him that he can bring every day, so showing up, being consistent, and then caring about them way more as people than he does as players, but caring about them as players a lot too, obviously.”
Hogue’s new experience began Aug. 4 when the team reports for preseason workouts. The season then starts on Aug. 30 with a match against Kennesaw State.
“We’re pretty anxious to get in the gym with them, but lots of new faces, some are returning, but I think it’ll be good,” Hogue said. “You never know what every season is going to bring, but we’re excited to grow from last year and get some new faces in and get them into Arkansas volleyball. They’ll be just fine.”