SMU Athletics

Clayton Bristow is entering his second season (2023) as an assistant coach on the SMU volleyball staff.

The Mustangs finished the 2023 season with a 26-7 overall record and won the American Athletic Conference championship. SMU finished league play with an 18-1 record, marking the best conference winning percentage in program history (.947), and won the program's first league title since 2016. The Mustangs rode a 15-match win streak into the NCAA Tournament and entered as a No. 7 seed after seven straight sweeps. SMU swept Texas State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to finish the month of November without dropping a set. 

Bristow helped guide five All-AAC and two AVCA All-Region Selections, including the American's Player of the Year Emma Clothier, Setter of the Year Celia Cullen, and Libero of the Year Sina Uluave. Jamison Wheeler was named a First-Team selection, and Natalie Perdue earned a spot on the Second-Team. Clothier and Cullen both earned All-Region honors. 

Bristow is no stranger to success. He's an assistant coach for the country's No. 1 juniors club team, Texas Advantage Volleyball (TAV). His 16's team won a national championship at the open level in 2021. In 2023, his 17's team finished fifth in the 17 Open. His teams have qualified for nationals in the past 10 seasons since he began coaching the club.

Bristow played volleyball for UT Dallas as an opposite for three seasons. He began his coaching career with the Comets and helped lead UT Dallas to an American Southwest Conference championship in 2013. The Comets advanced to the second round of the Division III NCAA Championships. The team collected a 31-9 overall record and had an 18-game win streak at one point in the season.

Following his graduation from UTD, Bristow served as an assistant coach at Division I Lamar University, where he primarily worked with MB's and setters, helping middle Chelsea Grant finish in the top 50 for blocks per set in all of NCAA Division I.

Prior to coaching club at TAV, Bristow spent time with Alamo Volleyball Association, a top club in his hometown of San Antonio.