NOTEBOOK
COACH KARCH: Three-time Olympic gold medalist Karch Kiraly addresses the media after being named head coach of the U.S.
Women’s National Volleyball Team.
CLICK PHOTO for a video of the announcement
press conference.
Kiraly named new U.S. women’s coach “I could not be happier with USA
one as a head coach. In September, USA Volleyball an- nounced that he will succeed Hugh Mc- Cutcheon as coach of the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team. Kiraly, 51, won two of his Olympic gold medals in indoor volleyball (1984 and 1988) and another with Kent Steffes on the beach (1996), and he has been McCutcheon’s top assistant coach since 2009 for a team that took the silver medal in August at the Lon- don Olympics.
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“I have revered representing the USA and wearing the red, white and blue ever since my fi rst experience with the Junior National Team at 16 years old,” Kiraly said. “It is a tremendous honor to be asked to lead such a powerful volleyball program, and I am thrilled to be able to carry forward the effort expended by this hard-working and talented group of athletes.” A year and a half after Kiraly retired from playing pro beach volleyball, where he set a record with 148 tournament titles, McCutcheon was sitting next to him on an airplane, talking volleyball. Next thing Kiraly knew, McCutcheon, who was switch- ing to coaching the U.S. Women’s National Team after coaching the men’s national team to an Olympic gold medal at Beijing in 2008, asked Kiraly to be his assistant coach. Kiraly had been coaching the high school team of his sons, Kristian and Kory, and he was thoroughly enjoying it. So, after giving it some “very serious thought,” he decided to take McCutcheon up on his offer. A lot of people were very glad he did, including McCutcheon, who Kiraly says has been a great friend and a great mentor. And a lot of people are equally excited that he will now be taking over as head coach.
arch Kiraly played in three Olym- pics and won gold medals in all three. The next frontier? Winning
Volleyball’s decision to select Karch,” McCutcheon said. “He’s a great man and a wonderful volleyball coach – this is a fantastic hire.” USAV Chief Executive Offi cer Doug Beal says: “It is hard for me to defi ne how excited I am that Karch has agreed to be- come our next U.S. Women’s National Vol- leyball Team coach. I have often heard him compared to Michael Jordan as a dominant performer and personality. It is extremely rare that someone who was so talented and successful on the court can successfully make the transition to that same level in the coaching world. Karch is unique, and USA Volleyball is fortunate and lucky to have him to continue the leadership of our National Team program.”
Similar sentiments were expressed by veteran U.S. setter Lindsey Berg, a three- time Olympian.
“Having a coach who already knows the core group who will return for the next quad and has the respect from the group and became a big part of our team is a great way to start the quad going for gold in the next Olympics,” she says. “He is a great techni- cal coach and a good game coach who has been through it all, and he really knows how to talk to us.”
As much as Kiraly talks with pride about what the women’s team accomplished this past quadrennial, including three gold medals at the FIVB World Grand Prix (2010, 2011, 2012), a silver medal at the FIVB World Cup and a silver medal at the Olympics, the dis- appointment of fi nishing second in London when the team’s goal was to win the gold is a major source of motivation for him. “It hasn’t worn off yet,” he said. “In some ways, it hurts even more now as I look back. I’m ready to get back in the gym and get to work.”
10 | VOLLEYBALLUSA • Digital Issue at
usavolleyball.org/mag
PHOTO: PETER BROPUILLET
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