“I congratulate John Speraw on his ap- pointment as head coach for the U.S. national team,” said Dan Guerrero, UCLA athletic director. “UCLA volleyball has always had strong ties with USA Volleyball and I look forward to John’s success with both pro- grams.”
The U.S. Men’s National Team moved
to Anaheim in 2006 and it is now the Of- ficial Host City for both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Volleyball Teams. In 2008, Speraw traveled with McCutch- eon and the U.S. Men to the Olympic Games in Beijing where they won the gold medal. Af- ter 2008, he worked with the U.S. Men as needed, including a stint as the head coach of a young team that finished fifth at the 2011 Pan American Games. In 2012, Speraw returned as the as- sistant coach for the FIVB World League and filled in as head coach for the 2012 World League team for four overseas pool play matches while then head coach Alan Knipe was dealing with a family emer- gency. The U.S. Men went on to win the silver medal in the FIVB World League Final Round.
Speraw assisted Knipe at the 2012 Olympic Games in London where the U.S. Men placed fifth after winning its preliminary pool with a 4-1 record. The U.S. Men go into 2013 ranked fifth in the world by the FIVB.
Clay Stanley, who played at opposite on the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympic teams and has served as the U.S. Men’s team captain since 2011, was happy with the choice. “I am surprised and pleased that John Speraw will be the new U.S. Men’s head coach,” Stanley said, “He is obviously a great choice for the job, having served as an assistant coach for two Olympics. I know the players will be excited to work with him and his staff.”
Speraw served as head coach of the U.S.
Men’s Junior National Volleyball Team that won the silver medal at the NORCECA Men’s Junior (U-21) Continental Volleyball
Championship in 2004 and head coach of the U.S. Men’s Junior Team that finished eighth at the FIVB World Championships in 2005. He served as an assistant for the U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team (1998 and 2001), the World University Games Team (1997 and 1999) and the Pan American Games Team (1999, 2007). Speraw said one of his first priorities will be choosing a staff to help guide the U.S. Men’s Team over the next four years. He will also need to choose rosters for the 2013 FIVB World League and the 2013 Pan American Cup within his first few weeks on the job. “Hiring a great staff is going to be key to
record at UCLA was 15-9 and his overall collegiate head coaching record was 214-115 including 10 previous seasons as the head coach at UC Irvine. “We are in a good place,” Speraw said of
“I think the coach needs to be empowered to take some risk, even if it means there are
some early failures.” John Speraw
U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team coach
making this endeavor successful,” Speraw said. “After that, our immediate goals will be World League and the Pan American Cup.” Speraw knows he had some big decisions to make in 2013.
“I do need to have some conversations with some of the players about what their plans are for the next for years,” he said. “This is the time when everyone’s making some decisions. Potentially, it’s about turnover and who the young guys are and how much expe- rience we can get them early.
“I think we’re going to have to get some new blood in here and take a look at some new young players and take a look at what they can do, particularly early in the quad and in World League. I told Doug I think the coach needs to be empowered to take some risk even if it means there are some early failures because I think that’s going to help out things in the long run. And that’s a hard thing to do.” At the time of the announce- ment, Speraw’s
UCLA. “We have been playing better vol- leyball as of late. As we evaluated this whole dual role, certainly my ability to stay focused on the collegiate program down the stretch is something we discussed pretty extensively and that’s what we’re going to do.” Al Scates, who coached the UCLA men’s volleyball team for 50 seasons, has worked with Speraw when Speraw was a player for the Bruins and an assistant coach. “John has assisted with our last two Olympic Teams and I know he is a great hire for USA Volleyball,” Scates said. “I commend Doug Beal for having the foresight to wait until John became available and Dan Guerrero for allowing John to take the position.” As UC Irvine’s men’s volleyball coach, Speraw transformed the program into a national power. Under his direc- tion, the Anteaters won three NCAA Men’s National Collegiate Volleyball Championship titles in the last six years and advanced to the NCAA Champion- ship four times, won two Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) regular season titles and a pair of MPSF Tournament championships.
In 2008, Speraw received a Pillar Award, which showcases outstanding achievement in ethical leadership at the12th Annual Ethics in America Awards. In 2011, he was given the U.S. Olympic Achievement Award, an honor that recognizes the colleges and universities whose coaches and student-athletes have won Olympic medals in the past two Olympic Games.
Prior to UCI, Speraw served in various roles with the UCLA men’s volleyball pro- gram for 12 years. He played middle blocker for the Bruins from 1992-95 and was a member of two national championship teams. He was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team in 1995 when he had 11 kills and eight blocks in the championship victory over Penn State.
Speraw became a volunteer assistant coach with the Bruins before assuming a full- time assistant’s position in 1998. He gradu- ated from UCLA in 1995 with a bachelor of science degree in microbiology and molecular genetics.
Speraw is the co-author of the book “Ex-
ercise for Your Muscle Type: The Smart Way to Get Fit.”
John Speraw has been instrumental to the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team in both the last two Olympic Games. (Photo: Matt Brown)
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