U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL TEAM
Double duty
Speraw to keep position at UCLA after accepting job to lead the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team
by B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Click to hear the John Speraw
press conference
John Speraw was announced as the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team head coach on March 25. (Photo: Peter Brouillet)
ohn Speraw had Hugh McCutcheon to thank, or perhaps blame, for his very busy schedule during the next four years. Speraw, a two-time Olympic assistant coach for the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team, was named the program’s head coach for the next Olympic Games quadrennial cul- minating at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, by USA Volleyball Chief Executive Offi cer Doug Beal on March 25. Speraw, 41, will also continue as the head
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men’s volleyball coach at UCLA in a dual role with the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team. He accepted the head job at his alma mater in June 2012 and is completing his fi rst cam- paign with the Bruins.
Less than three weeks prior to the an- nouncement that he would be the new U.S. Men’s head coach, Speraw thought his sched-
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ule during the summer of 2013 would allow him to take a trip to Scotland with his parents. But a conversation with McCutcheon, who hired Speraw as one of his assistants in 2007 when McCutcheon was the U.S. Men’s head coach, sent him in a different direction. “He asked about what the discussions had been with Doug (Beal) previously about the dual role (with UCLA and the U.S. Men’s Team),” Speraw said. “I told him I thought the dual role was more doable than I had even foreseen a year before when it was being discussed.”
McCutcheon called Beal, who called Speraw and put things in motion. “I am very happy that John has accepted
our offer to be the U.S. Men’s head coach,” Beal said. “He’s the right person for the job for this quad at this time. He’s a terrifi cally
talented coach who has had a remarkable level of success at the college level. He knows the current U.S. Men’s player pool very well from his experiences over the last two quads. He has mentored under both Hugh McCutcheon and Alan Knipe.”
Speraw said he felt ready for the challenge of leading two men’s volleyball teams. “The support and resources at UCLA are beyond what I have imagined,” he said. “I have two great assistant coaches (at UCLA) in Brad Keller and Andrea Becker and an amaz- ing staff.
“I am excited to take on this new role with
USA Volleyball,” Speraw said. “I am honored to have been selected to coach this elite group of talented U.S. players and I appreciate UCLA’s support in allowing me to pursue this tremendous opportunity.”
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