Former UNM volleyball star brings coaching career to Rio Rancho

RIO RANCHO — If you recognize the name Kaitlynn Biassou, it may be from her dominance as a Lobo with University of New Mexico volleyball.

But after finishing up her collegiate career in 2023, the former Mountain West conference star is trading in her cherry red and silver for Rio Rancho green and navy.

“After five seasons with them (UNM), I played professional volleyball for two seasons overseas. But I’m kind of taking a break right now,” Biassou said. “So I wanted to get into coaching. I started coaching club volleyball at E3 Volleyball, and then I got the opportunity to coach with Coach Manzanares over at Rio Rancho.”

Trading in her jersey for a clipboard for the time being, Biassou has been helping on the Rams’ coaching staff throughout the 2025 season.

Originally from Reno, Nevada, Biassou brings quite the experience to Rio Rancho High School. In her time with the Lobos, she became the top point scorer and kill leader in school history, along with being selected to the Mountain West all-conference team four times in five years.

But even with an impressive resume behind her, the former UNM star is still adjusting to the new role of patrolling the sidelines.

“I would say the hardest part with coaching is just trying to find my role,” Biassou said. “I’m a brand-new coach, so I’m kind of just figuring out my voice. (Manzanares) has been coaching at Rio for many years; he’s got it down, so just trying to find myself within that. I think as time has gone on, I feel like it’s definitely improved, and I feel like I can be more of myself.”

Coaching may not have been in the cards for Biassou from the jump, but her entry into the space reflects a motive that fuels her in her break from playing: staying in the game.

“I kind of knew I wanted to be around the sport for as long as I can, and I know my body wouldn’t have been able to keep up, so I knew coaching was kind of the avenue I wanted to take after playing,” Biassou said. “Eventually, I want to coach at the highest level I can, so whether that’s college or professional or anything, I’m kind of just working on building my resume, but I definitely want to be around this sport for as long as I can.”

In year one with the Rams, Biassou and Rio Rancho have battled early to make some noise in the 5A district, now about halfway through the season. In early September, the Rams took third place in a competitive tournament down in Las Cruces, good for a bronze finish over 16 other teams.

Biassou said that being younger than most other coaches has helped her relate to the players a bit more, fostering a strong connection with the Rams on and, as you can see by her Instagram posts, off the court.

“I think it’s been great so far. The girls are a super close-knit group of girls,” Biassou said. “And I feel like since I’m a bit younger, I can kind of relate to them a little bit more. So I feel like we have a strong connection.”

On her Instagram page, “coach.biassou”, you can find plenty of the Rams’ shenanigans, including being mic’d up during practice and answering questions of the day.

“I like posting a bunch of like content about them, just because their personalities are hilarious,” Biassou said. “It’s just overall a really good connection we’ve been building, and I just really enjoy working with them.”

Biassou will soon return to the court as a player, planning on a return to play overseas next year. When her playing career comes to a close, you will likely catch her back in the coach’s chair, with championships still on her mind.

“Eventually, I want to be a head coach and win my championship, wherever I end up, I feel like that’s always going to be the goal, just coming to a program and making whatever change I can, and building all these relationships with not only the girls but the community,” Biassou said. “And hopefully, whether it’s at the college level, professional level or high school level, winning something big. That’s always going to be my dream and my same mindset on how I approach each season.”