Southern Idaho Golden Eagles

Jim Cartisser will begin his sixth season as the College of Southern Idaho Head Volleyball coach this fall. Jim took over at the helm for his late wife Heidi who coached at CSI for 12 seasons, winning three NJCAA National Championships. Jim assisted Heidi at many stops throughout their volleyball journey and already has made his mark as the head coach.
He led the Golden Eagles to their 12th NJCAA National Championship in his first season. He was named AVCA Coach of the Year, NJCAA Coach of the Year and coached the AVCA and NJCAA Player of the Year. Cartisser led the Golden Eagles to a 31-2 record in 2018, a Scenic West Athletic Conference title and a Region 18 Championship. His overall record as a head coach now stands at 91-51.
Cartisser began his volleyball career in the sand, playing in local tournaments in Oregon growing up. He then attended Portland State University, where he played court volleyball for the school's club team.
His first collegiate coaching job was as the head coach for Edmonds CC in 1994. He remained there through 1997. Jim also coached for the Seattle Juniors Club program.
After his stint at Edmonds, Jim transitioned to Treasure Valley CC, where he assisted Heidi from 1998 until 2000. They then accepted jobs at NCAA Division I Chicago State University with Heidi serving as the head coach and Jim assisting her. They were there from 2000 until 2004. During that time, Cartisser also served as the Head Men's Volleyball Coach at Kendall College in North Chicago in 2002 and 2003. An NAIA school, Kendall had won just one match the year prior to Jim taking over the program. In his first year in 2002, he led the team to a conference championship and a national ranking as high as third in the country. 
Wanting to be closer to home, they moved back to the area for Jim to accept an assistant coaching position at the College of Southern Idaho under then head coach Ben Stroud. That year (2005), he helped the Golden Eagles to an NJCAA National Championship. Jim started the Club Canyon Volleyball club in the Magic Valley in 2006 and ran the club until 2014.
Cartisser took a brief coaching break to pursue real estate but a couple years after Heidi was named the CSI head coach, he returned to assist her in 2011, playing a key role in the Golden Eagles winning their 10th and 11th NJCAA National titles. 
Cartisser is the fourth CSI Volleyball Head Coach in the program's history. Jan Mittleider was the first coach before the program was dropped for a period of time. She was followed by Ben Stroud and Heidi Cartisser.
"It was an easy decision," said CSI Athletic Director Joel Bate. "And it was the right decision. We know that Jim will continue what Heidi and Jim started and will keep the CSI Volleyball program as one of the best in the nation on the court as well as continue to change lives off the court."
Jim assisted in the College of Southern Idaho volleyball program for eight years prior to taking over the head coaching duties. He served a key role in helping the Golden Eagles to national championships in 2005, 2012 and 2015.