May 15, 2026
Courtesy story and photo submitted
Former Barton Community College student-athlete and legendary volleyball coach Barton Community College Ray Bechard has been selected as the college’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipient following a coaching career that spanned more than four decades and left a lasting impact on collegiate athletics.
Bechard retired Feb. 1, 2025, after 45 years in coaching, including nationally recognized tenures at both Barton and the University of Kansas.
A native of Grinnell, Bechard attended Barton from 1976 to 1978 and was a member of the Cougar basketball team that compiled a 45-13 record during his time as a student-athlete. He later attended Fort Hays State University, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Bechard began his coaching career at Lewis High School as a health instructor while coaching boys basketball and girls volleyball. Three years later, he returned to Barton Community College as an assistant women’s basketball coach and health instructor before being named head volleyball coach in 1985.
During his 13 seasons leading the Barton volleyball program, Bechard built one of the most dominant programs in NJCAA history. Barton captured 13 conference championships, 12 Region VI titles, and made 10 Final Four appearances at the NJCAA National Tournament under his leadership. His teams also recorded 126 consecutive home victories, and he completed his Barton coaching career undefeated in regular-season home matches.
Bechard was named NJCAA National Coach of the Year twice and finished with an overall record of 716-60 at Barton, a remarkable .923 winning percentage. He coached 14 first-team All-Americans, 13 Academic All-Americans and 15 Distinguished Academic All-Americans during his tenure.
In 1998, Bechard accepted the head coaching position at the University of Kansas, where he led the Jayhawks volleyball program for 27 seasons. During his time at Kansas, he was named National Coach of the Year in 2015 and earned Big 12 Coach of the Year honors five times. His teams made 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Final Four, and he retired as the winningest coach in Kansas volleyball history.
His accomplishments have earned national recognition throughout his career. Bechard was inducted into the NJCAA Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1998, the Barton Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002, and the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2025. In 2026, he was also inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, in addition to receiving numerous coaching and legacy awards throughout his career.
Bechard and his wife, Pam (Brown) Bechard, first met while attending Barton Community College, where Pam was also a cheerleader and graduate of Great Bend High School. Together, they have two children, Ashley and Brennan, and six grandchildren.
“We are very proud to have Ray Bechard as our 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient,” President Marcus Garstecki said. “This is the second year we have presented this award to an outstanding alumnus. I felt like Ray was the ideal candidate for this recognition based on his accomplishments as a student and coach during his time at Barton, as well as his career accomplishments at the University of Kansas. His success on the court as the head volleyball coach at Barton and KU is outstanding and certainly deserving on its own. But more importantly, Ray emphasized the importance of being great students and individuals to his student-athletes. He always wanted them to succeed as individuals and cared more about his players and their contributions to society than simply as volleyball players. Ray was a great mentor and leader who positively impacted so many lives during his career.”