Todd Kress and the scrutiny facing San Jose State's coach
Todd Kress is the head women's volleyball coach at San Jose State University (SJSU), a veteran with more than 550 NCAA wins. His name has drawn national attention amid reported 1998 misconduct allegations from a former Fairfield player and a federal Title IX review questioning why SJSU kept him on the job during a turbulent 2024 season.
Kress took over the Spartans program in January 2023 after two long stints at Fairfield University and stops at Northern Illinois, Florida State, and Buffalo. He ranks among the winningest coaches in Division I women's volleyball history, yet recent reporting has shifted focus from trophies to accountability.
Key Takeaways
- Todd Kress has coached at San Jose State since 2023 and sits 21st on the NCAA all-time wins list with 550 victories.
- A former Fairfield player told SJSU in 2024 that Kress attacked her in a hotel room during the 1998 NCAA Tournament, according to published reports.
- SJSU officials acknowledged the letter and apologized but did not suspend Kress, who remains head coach.
- A U.S. Department of Education Title IX probe found the university weighed media attention before deciding not to bench him during the 2024 season.
- Public figures including tennis legend Martina Navratilova have called for his dismissal following the reporting.
Who is Todd Kress?
Todd Kress has been a Division I head coach since 1995. He first led Fairfield from 1995 to 1998, returned from 2014 to 2022, and became Fairfield's all-time winningest coach with nine Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors.
He also coached at Florida State from 2002 to 2007, Northern Illinois, and Buffalo before San Jose State hired him in January 2023. SJSU athletics praised his recruiting and player development when announcing the hire.
What allegations have been raised against Todd Kress?
During SJSU's 2024 season, the athletic department received a letter from a woman who played for Kress at Fairfield in 1998, according to Fox News Digital. She alleged Kress attacked her in a hotel room after Fairfield's loss to Clemson in that year's NCAA Tournament.
The letter had previously been sent to Fairfield University. Published emails show SJSU officials thanked her for coming forward, acknowledged her concerns, and apologized for her experiences. Kress has continued as head coach; reporting indicates he was asked for comment through university channels.
Why did San Jose State keep Todd Kress as head coach?
Despite the 2024 letter, SJSU did not suspend or remove Kress. A separate U.S. Department of Education Title IX investigation into the university's handling of its 2024 volleyball season found officials chose not to bench a head coach referred to as "Coach 2" while a female assistant coach was suspended amid parallel complaints.
Investigation documents cited concerns that relieving the coach could "spark more media attention" and disrupt the team. Fox News Digital identified Coach 2 as Todd Kress based on tenure dates and role descriptions. The federal findings did not address the 1998 hotel-room allegation directly.
Why does the Todd Kress story matter beyond one campus?
College programs often celebrate coaches with long résumés, but the Kress case highlights what happens when fresh accusations meet institutional inertia. Former SJSU co-captain Brooke Slusser, who sued over her 2024 team experience, publicly reacted to the reporting on social media.
Stories like this sit alongside other odd accountability twists covered in our Bizarre News & Florida Man section — cases where reputation, politics, and sports culture collide in ways that outlast a single news cycle.
For primary documentation on the federal review, see the U.S. Department of Education Title IX enforcement materials and the original investigative reporting that brought the 1998 letter to light.