USA Volleyball announces 75th Anniversary All-Era Coaches

by Paul Soriano USA Volleyball Manager, Public Relations & Publications

USA Volleyball announces the 17 former USA Volleyball men's and women's National Team Coaches selected to USA Volleyball's 75th Anniversary All-Era Team.

Men (1928-52)

Walter Brown

Walter Brown, a USVBA All-American player in 1929, 1933 and 1934 at the Division Street YMCA of Chicago and the coach of four USVBA Open and YMCA National Championship teams and one second-place team was an easy selection as one of the top coaches of this 1928-1952 All-USVBA men's team. Walter's North Avenue YMCA team were the USVBA Open and YMCA National champs in 1941, 1942, 1945 and 1947 and were the runner-up team in both of these Championships in 1951. During his coaching career Walter coached six players who were named USVBA First-Team All-Americans 10 times and two players who were named to the USVBA's second All-American team three times. After his playing and coaching career Walter became a USVBA certified National referee and scorekeeper and he served in these positions from 1948 thru 1965.

Harry Wilson

Harry Wilson, who spent his entire West Coast volleyball career from the mid-1930's thru 1964 with the Hollywood YMCA "Stars" team, led the Stars to three USVBA Open and YMCA National Championships (1948, 1951 and 1952) and a runner-up finish (1950) during this era of 1928-52. Harry coached six players that were named USVBA First-Team All-Americans eight times and he also had five players named as 2nd team All-Americans seven times. Harry was later selected as the USA men's head coach for the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, which were the first Olympic Games to conduct championships for volleyball. In 1996 USA Volleyball bestowed their All-Time Great Coach Pioneer Division Award to Harry. In 1988 Harry became the first coach to be inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke, Mass.

Clive Graham

Clive Graham led his Long Beach YMCA team to the USVBA Open and YMCA National Championships in 1950 and to the runner-up positions in 1949. Clive coached three players who were named USVBA First-Team All-Americans four times and three players who were named 2nd team All-Americans four times. In addition Clive was the coach of record of two players who were selected for the 1928-52 All-USVBA men's team, Bernie Specht and Buddy Montague.

Men (1953-77)

Harlan Cohen

Harlan Cohen's coaching career began in 1963 with the Los Angeles Westside Jewish Community Center. In 1965 Westside won the men's USVBA Open Championship in Omaha, Neb. Cohen was an assistant coach for the USA men's national team in 1966. He then guided the USA women's national team to a gold medal at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada and to a silver medal at the 1967 World Championships in Tokyo. In 1968 he served as head coach of the USA women's team at the Olympic Games in Mexico City. He served as the men's head coach at Pepperdine from 1975-76, posting a two-year record of 24-9. Along with co-coach Burt DeGroot, Cohen guided Santa Monica CC to seven USVBA collegiate championships (1961-62-63-64-66-71-72) and Pepperdine to one USVBA collegiate crown (1975). From 1986-91 he was an assistant coach at UCLA. In 1991 he returned to Malibu to serve as an assistant coach of the men's volleyball program at Pepperdine, a position he still holds today. In 1999, USA Volleyball honored him as a George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball Award recipient. In 2000, he was presented with the USA Volleyball All-Time Great Volleyball Coach Award in the Pioneer Division.

Jim Coleman

Jim Coleman, who was honored with a USA Volleyball All-Time Great Volleyball Coach award in 1999, served as head coach of the USA men's national team three separate times: 1965-70, 1979-80 and in 1990. In 1967, he guided the United States to a men's volleyball gold medal at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg. In 1968 he was the head coach of the USA men's Olympic volleyball team. The team finished seventh overall, but is best remembered for posting the greatest upset in USA Volleyball history, a 3-1 win over the world's No. 1-ranked team and eventual gold medallist, the Soviet Union. He started the men's volleyball program at the University of Kansas in the late '50s and quickly turned it into one of the best in the country. The Jayhawks finished third at the 1957 USVBA Collegiate Championships and earned a second-place trophy in 1958. Coleman died in 2001 following more than 40 years of service to USA Volleyball and to both the men's and women's national teams. In 2002 USA Volleyball bestowed its highest honor, the "Frier Award," on Jim Coleman.

Harold Peterson

During his 23 years of coaching, Harold "Pete" Peterson produced 31 first or second-team USVBA All-Americans, one Olympian and two USVBA All-Time Great Players. In 1954 and 1955, he coached the Stockton YMCA to both USVBA Open and YMCA national championships. Stockton YMCA finished second in 1952, 1956, 1957 and 1963. Six players from his two championship teams formed the backbone of the USA men's national team that won America's first gold medal in international competition during the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City. In 1956 he coached the United States to a sixth-place finish at the first FIVB World Championships in Paris. He received the USA Volleyball All-Time Great Coach Award posthumously in 1998, three years after his death.

Harry Wilson

Harry Wilson is the only coach of this elite group to be named an All-Era Coach in two different eras. Wilson, who was also honored on the Men's 1928-52 All-Era Team for winning three USVBA Open and YMCA National Championships (1948, 1951, 1952), accomplished even more during the 1953-77 era. His Hollywood YMCA "Stars" captured nine Open and YMCA championships (1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964) and finished second three times (1954, 1955, 1960) during that time. In 1964, he was selected as the first USA men's head coach for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. In 1996, USA Volleyball honored Wilson by naming him an All-Time Great Coach in the Pioneer Division. In 1988, he became the first coach to be inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke, Mass.

Women (1949-77)

Mary Jo Peppler

Mary Jo Peppler has three Women's Open Championships to her credit, guiding E. Pluribus Unum of Houston, Texas, to crowns in 1972 in Salt Lake City and 1973 in Duluth, Minn., and Utah State University to the championship in 1981 in Arlington, Texas. In 1970, she guided Sul Ross State University of Alpine, Texas, to a runner-up finish, losing to Jane Ward's Shamrocks in the Women's Open final in Honolulu, Hawaii. A 1990 inductee to the Volleyball Hall of Fame as a player, Peppler was also named to the USVBA Women's 1949-77 All-Era Team as a player.

Manny Saenz

Manny Saenz was the head coach of one of the most dominating USVBA women's Open teams in the history of the tournament. From 1955-61, the Mariners from Santa Monica, Calif., won six consecutive Open Championships, the longest streak in the history of the tournament. He also served as the head coach of the USA women's national team that earned a silver medal at the 1959 Pan American Games in Chicago. He was also named to the USVBA Men's 1928-52 All-Era Team as a player.

Jane Ward

Jane Ward, who was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the USVBA Women's 1949-77 All-Era Team, enjoying plenty of success as a coach as well. She coached the Shamrocks of Long Beach, Calif., to eight Women's Open championships (1962-63-64-65-67-68-69-70) and two runner-up finishes (1966, 1971) during that time. Along with Flo Hyman, she became the first woman to be inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1988.

Men (1978-2002)

Doug Beal

It's safe to say that any success the USA men's national volleyball team has enjoyed during this era has Doug Beal's fingerprints all over it. Beal was the driving force behind the USA men's national team's rise from mediocrity to the top of the volleyball world. In 1984 he guided a program that had not taken part in the Olympic Games since 1968 to a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles and opened the door to a decade of dominance by the United States. Beal was also an integral part in the development of a year-round training center as both a coach and administrator. He was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1989 and USA Volleyball's first recipient of the All-Time Great Volleyball Coach Award in 1995. In 1999 he was a finalist for the FIVB Greatest Coach of the Century Award. In 1988, Beal's 1984 gold-medal winning Olympic Team was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame "Court of Honor." The 1984-88 squads also received special recognition in the FIVB Best Men's Team of the 20th Century category in December 2000. He is currently in his third tour as head coach of the men's team (1977-78; 1981-85; 1997-present) and is on track to coach in his third Olympics in 2004-20 years after he first struck gold in the United States.

Marv Dunphy

Marv Dunphy had a relatively short tenure as head coach of the USA men's national volleyball team (1985-88), but his accomplishments will last a lifetime. His teams won the gold medal at nearly every international tournament, including the 1985 World Cup, the 1986 World Championships, the 1987 Pan American Games and the 1988 Olympics. Dunphy also guided the United States to gold (1985) and silver (1987) medals at the NORCECA Continental Championships. He has directed Pepperdine to three NCAA men's volleyball championships during his 19 seasons as the Waves' head coach (1978, 1985, and 1992). Dunphy was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1994. In 1999, he was presented with the USA Volleyball All-Time Great Volleyball Coach Award in the Contemporary Division. That same year, Dunphy's 1988 gold-medal winning Olympic Team was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame "Court of Honor."

Catalino "Iggy" Ignacio

Catalino "Iggy" Ignacio claims the well-deserved honor of All-Era Coach on the strength of leading teams to 10 USVBA men's Open Championships. He guided Nautilus of Long Beach, Calif., to crowns in 1979 and 1981. Iggy then captured six straight Open titles from 1983-1988. Nautilus of Pacifica, Calif., won the championship in 1983 and 1984. Molten of Torrance, Calif., took top honors in 1985-86-87-88, and Nike of Carson, Calif., claimed the top spot in the Open tournament in 1990 and 1991. He was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1991.

Al Scates

Al Scates' success during his 40 years as the head coach of UCLA's men's volleyball program is mind-boggling. His record of 1,044-174 to start the 2003 season ranks as one of the best in any sport and ranks first among all collegiate coaches in all divisions. The Bruins have won 18 NCAA titles since 1970, including four in the last eight years. The team also won two USVBA Collegiate Championships (1965, 1967) and finished second four times (1963-64-66-69). During his five decades at UCLA, he has coached 49 different NCAA first-team All-Americans, 26 USVBA first-team All-Americans, 37 USA men's national team members, 21 Olympians and seven different Players of the Year. Five times he was named National Coach of the Year. He served as head coach of the USA men's national team from 1971-72. In 1971 the team earned silver medals at the Pan American Games and NORCECA championships. In 1995, he was presented with the USA Volleyball All-Time Great Volleyball Coach Award in the Contemporary Division. Scates was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1993, the first active coach to ever be honored.

Women (1978-2002)

Victor Botwin

Victor Botwin earns a rightful place on this list based on six Women's Open championships and two runner-up finishes during the 1990s. Five of those championships came consecutively with teams Kronies/Miller Lite (1991), Nick's/Kronies (1992), Nick's/Golds Gym (1993-94) and Kittleman/Rudi's/Nick's (1995) capturing crowns while representing Chicago, Ill. He sandwiched a pair of runner-up finishes (Kittleman/Bransfields/Nick's in 1996; Bransfields/Nick's/Nike in 1998) around his final Open championship in 1997 with Kittleman/Bransfields/Nick's.

Terry Liskevych

Terry Liskevych has more wins (337), a longer tenure ((12 years) and has been on the bench for more international matches than any coach in the history of the USA women's national team. Under his leadership the team captured the bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics, the gold medal at the 1995 World Grand Prix, bronze medals at the 1987 Pan American Games and the 1990 World Championships and five silver medals in the NORCECA championships. Liskevych is also the only coach in USA Volleyball history to coach three Olympic Teams (1988, 1992, and 1996). He was named the FIVB Coach of the Year in 1995. In 1999, he was presented with the George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball Award. Prior to joining USA Volleyball, Liskevych enjoyed 11 successful years as both the men's head coach at Ohio State (1975-76) and as the women's head coach at the University of the Pacific (1976-84). During this time his teams competed in seven Final Fours. In 1983, he was named the NCAA Division I Coach of the Year. Liskevych was also one of three co-founders of the Collegiate Volleyball Coaches Association (now AVCA) in 1981.

Arie Selinger

Arie Selinger took over the reins of the USA women's national team in 1975 and steadily transformed it into a world power in less than five years. In 1978 Selinger guided the team to a fifth-place finish at the World Championships in Leningrad. By 1980 the team was favored to win the gold medal at the Olympics in Moscow, but the American boycott of the Games prevented the team from reaching the top of the podium. Team USA captured a bronze medal at the 1982 World Championships in Lima, Peru. He followed up three straight silver medals at the NORCECA championships in 1975, 1977 and 1979 with gold medals at the 1981 and 1983 competitions. In 1984 the women made history by taking the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It marked the first Olympic medal ever won by a United States volleyball team. After the 1984 Olympics, Selinger became the head coach of the men's national team in Holland. The team qualified for the Olympics in 1988 and won a silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games. Selinger was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1995. In 1999, he was presented with the USA Volleyball All-Time Great Volleyball Coach Award in the Contemporary Division.

For more information, go to the USA Volleyball web site.