SJSU Volleyball Coach Rips Former Coach For Ditching Blaire Fleming After Recruiting The Trans Player

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San Jose State women’s volleyball coach Todd Kress has been one of the key figures overseeing the inclusion of Blaire Fleming (a male-born player allowed to play with females) on the Spartans.

But Fleming’s introduction to the SJSU women’s volleyball team did not start with Kress, although the SJSU coach allowed the dilemma to continue.

Instead, current Loyola Marymount University coach Trent Kersten and his staff brought Fleming to San Jose after (Brayden) Fleming needed a team to play for.

Kersten was the head coach at SJSU before Todd Kress joined in 2023.

Brayden “Blaire” Fleming has caused an uproar of controversy as the NCAA and Mountain West Conference idly watch the 6-foot-1 male-born player continue to compete against women.

Has the coach who recruited Fleming kept up with his player? Or did he attempt to absolve himself of a mess he created?

RELATED: SJSU’s Brooke Slusser Speaks Out On Fight Against NCAA: ‘Title IX Exists For A Reason’ 

Having dodged accountability once by leaving SJSU, Kersten continues to run from it. 

SJSU Coach Todd Kress Comments On Trent Kersten’s Relationship with Blaire Fleming

Kersten remains radio silent amid Fleming’s controversy, which has included seven volleyball matches forfeited (so far) because of Blaire Fleming.

OutKick spoke with SJSU coach Todd Kress about Trent Kersten’s involvement since leaving the program and, more importantly, during the program’s ongoing battle to keep a trans player on its women’s team against the forfeitures, backlash and revolts within SJSU.

To Kress’ dismay, Kersten failed to check on Fleming, the player he recruited, or communicate with the program as teams began to forfeit against the Spartans, and women took a stand against Fleming’s inclusion.

“Trent brought Blaire to SJSU and [Fleming] played for him for the 2022 season before his departure to LMU,” Kress commented to OutKick, a day after his team lost to San Diego State (Nov. 9). 

Having dodged accountability once by leaving SJSU, Kersten continues to run from it.

“My frustration with Trent is an unfortunate situation,” the SJSU coach continued. “[Trent Kersten] obviously knows Blaire is in the crosshairs of this debate and yet he has not reached out to [Fleming] one time to check in on [Fleming’s] mental health. I find it sad to be honest.”

OutKick Visits Trent Kersten At LMU, Jesuit School Stays Silent

Fleming , who played on the girls’ varsity volleyball team at John Champe High School in Virginia, has played two seasons at San Jose State after one year with Coastal Carolina in 2020. 

The volleyball athlete transferred from Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina before the 2021-2022 season. In May 2022, the Save Women’s Sports Act was enacted in South Carolina, prohibiting biological males from competing in girls’ and women’s sports.

Brayden saw the writing on the wall playing for Coastal Carolina University in terms of its policy for trans players.

Hoping to remain on a women’s team under the guise of “Blaire,” Brayden Fleming bolted to San Jose State, where Trent Kersten offered to take care of Fleming and, by extension, conceal Brayden’s identity as a trans player.

SJSU’s lack of communication regarding Fleming’s identity resulted in him sharing a room with team co-captain Brooke Slusser during a time when the trans player’s status was kept under wraps by the school and recruiting staff.

Slusser even agreed to room with Fleming after learning that Brayden (Fleming’s birth name) was searching for a roommate, not knowing Blaire was male.

Former SJSU Coach Is Longtime Trans Advocate

As for his background, Kersten advocates trans rights and creates the familiar trail of breadcrumbs we see from radically progressive coaches.

Kersten previously reposted an image on his X account with a BLM fist surrounded by a rainbow, captioned “VolleQuality.” The coach also comes from a prestigious volleyball family connected to UCLA.

Had Kersten or his coaching staff been upfront about Fleming’s identity from the start, Brayden’s attempts to join the team would likely have been thwarted.

After recruiting Fleming to the Spartans, Kersten left SJSU for LMU in early 2023, thus handing off the PR mess to incoming coach Todd Kress.

Digging deeper into Kersten’s role at SJSU and his onboarding at a private Jesuit university, OutKick attended a women’s volleyball match at LMU on Sept. 20.

Hearing Kersten’s name brought up multiple times during our discussions with people in and around the SJSU program, we wanted to find out who was responsible for knowingly bringing a man onto the women’s volleyball team.

READ: Trans Volleyball Player Keeps SJSU Season Perfect With 16 Kills, Spartans Social Media Turns Off Comments

Personnel at LMU’s Gersten Pavilion presented my request to Assistant Sports Media Relations Manager Taylor Turner. After requesting a sit-down with Kersten to discuss Blaire Fleming, LMU’s athletic staff quickly clammed up.

In a follow-up message after the match, OutKick asked LMU if it had been aware of Kersten’s background with recruiting Fleming before hiring him at a private, religious institution.

The university refused to comment on Kersten or Fleming.

LMU kicked back a generic response that falsely declared that the NCAA’s guidelines for recruiting permitted Kersten to bring on a trans player at SJSU.

“Trent Kersten is among the best head coaches in the nation,” LMU told OutKick in September after we attended the match. “We cannot speak to the recruitment practices of other institutions or the student-athletes on other rosters across the sport.

“The NCAA Board of Governors ultimately decides policies regarding the eligibility of student-athletes.”

The NCAA has stated that schools are not obligated to follow guidelines that would allow men to compete in women’s sports. However, the NCAA continues to allow this to happen.

The effects of Kersten’s decisions at SJSU are still being felt.

On Sunday (Nov. 10), we asked LMU about SJSU coach Todd Kress’ comments regarding Kersten. After multiple outreaches, LMU did not respond to OutKick’s request.

When will Trent Kersten and these coaches be held accountable?

Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com