Olympics
September 25, 2024
Unless he hires himself, which he won’t, of course, USA Volleyball needs a new head men’s national-team coach.
For that matter, UCLA also needs a men’s coach, because John Speraw is the new CEO of USA Volleyball.
Speraw, the USA Olympic coach for the past three Games, most recently took his team to the bronze medal in Paris. Just two months before that, his UCLA team repeated as NCAA champion.
“It was a really easy choice with John, given his 35-plus years with USA Volleyball and other organizations,” said Dave Gentile, USA Volleyball board chair. “He’s going to hit the ground running with that kind of experience base and in particular his knowledge of the international scene, the national scene in the U.S., as well as how USA Volleyball operates.”
Speraw, an NCAA champion at UCLA under legendary coach Al Scates, later became his assistant. As a head coach, Speraw won three NCAA titles at UC Irvine before replacing Scates when he retired after 50 years in 2012. At UCLA, Speraw’s teams lost in the 2018 and 2022 NCAA finals before winning it all the past two years.
(Speraw’s complete biography from the UCLA website follows).
Speraw replaces Jamie Davis, who announced earlier this year that he would not be back after the Paris Olympics. Earlier Monday, we had a Q&A with Davis, who is becoming the CEO of USA Water Polo.
“My journey with USA Volleyball began in 1997 as an assistant coach for the World University Games team,” Speraw said in a USA Volleyball news release. “Reflecting on the teams, players, staff and experiences over the years, I am filled with immense gratitude. To now be entrusted with the opportunity to lead USA Volleyball as president and CEO is both a profound honor and deeply humbling.
“This journey has deepened my passion for this organization—representing our country, advancing the sport, and elevating the experience for everyone involved.
“I am sincerely grateful to the USA Volleyball Board of Directors for this honor and responsibility. I am ready to lead. I am ready to serve.”
Speraw is also the founder of First Point Volleyball, an organization dedicated to supporting the growth of boys and men’s volleyball.
“I have to tell you that he was signifcant in his vision for the future,” Gentile added. “Our expectation as a board has been to take us to the next generation of USA Volleyball as well as what the (national governing body) has to do as a sport. He hit all the right check marks for us and his presentation, his style, his approach, his vision, his demeanor all hit the mark for us.”
Gentile said USA Volleyball not only has its focus on the next Olympics, which are in Los Angeles in 2028, but ahead to Brisbane in 2032.
“Starting now with his leadership we’ll be on top of the L.A. 2028 situation and plan beyond that,” Gentile said.
From the UCLA website:
UCLA head men’s volleyball coach John Speraw, who has produced five NCAA titles and two Olympic Bronze medal finishes as a head coach, has completed 12 seasons at the helm of his alma mater in Westwood. During his collegiate coaching career he has been recognized as the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Coach of the Year, the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Coach of the Year and the Volleyball Magazine Coach of the Year while coaching 58 All-Americans. Speraw has helped guide UCLA to as high as No. 2 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) polls in eight of the past nine seasons with the Bruins elevating to the top spot in the AVCA national rankings at some point during the 2024, 2023, 2022, 2016 and 2014 seasons.
This past season, Speraw guided his Bruins to a second-straight NCAA men’s volleyball title. It marked UCLA’s first back-to-back NCAA men’s volleyball crowns since the 1995 and 1996 campaigns and the first time UCLA had put together three straight 20-win seasons since the 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons. It was a coaching milestone for Speraw who reached the 20-win mark in three straight seasons for the initial time in his collegiate career.
In 2023, Speraw was named the AVCA Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. In 2018, he was inducted into the Southern California Indoor Volleyball Association Hall of Fame. He also serves as the volunteer chairman of First Point Volleyball Foundation with the goal to grow the number of opportunities, at every level, for men and boys to play the sport of volleyball.
Speraw was the first individual to win an NCAA MVB championship as a head coach (2007, 2009 and 2012 at UC Irvine; 2023 and 2024 at UCLA), an assistant coach (1996, 1998, 2000 at UCLA) and as a player (1993 and 1995 at UCLA). He has guided the Bruins to the NCAA Championship in 2024 and 2023, the NCAA Semifinals in 2022, the National Championship match in 2018 and the NCAA Semifinals in 2016.
In 2024, UCLA secured the 21st NCAA title in the program’s history and the second under Speraw. It marked the first back-to-back national championships by the program since the 1995 and 1996 seasons. The Bruins also captured their third straight regular season MPSF crown. Five Bruins were recognized as AVCA All-America selections with Ethan Champlin, who was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament, and Merrick McHenry, who hit a school record .585 during the season, receiving first-team accolades for the third straight season. Setter Andrew Rowan, who directed UCLA’s offense to the top hitting percentage in the nation, was a first-team All-A pick for the second straight season. Grant Sloane and Cooper Robinson were honorable mention selections.
In 2023, the Bruins captured the program’s 20th NCAA title and the first under Speraw, the AVCA Coach of the Year. The 31 wins on the season were the most by a Bruin team since the 1995 championship squad went 31-1. UCLA’s 3-0 win over Long Beach in the NCAA Semifinals marked the 21st sweep of the season, the most since the 1995 team set a school record with 25.
The Bruins secured their first MPSF Tournament title since 2006 after going unbeaten in league regular-season action for the first time since 1995. Coach Speraw achieved overall coaching victory No. 400 and UCLA coaching win No. 200 during the 2023 season in matches against UCI. A program-best seven Bruins earned ‘23 AVCA All-America honors. UCLA led the nation blocks (2.80), set assists (12.64) as well as in hitting percentage (.382) for the second straight season. Ryan Millar Award winner Merrick McHenry paced the nation with a .526 attack percentage. Ethan Champlin, Ido David, Andrew Rowan joined McHenry on the AVCA first-team All-America Team. Rowan, the AVCA Newcomer of the Year, topped all MPSF players with 50 aces. Outside hitter Alex Knight, a second-team All-America pick, was the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Guy Genis and Troy Gooch were honorable mention All-A selections.
In 2022, the Bruins led the nation in hitting percentage (.374) while advancing to the semifinal round of the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Tournament. UCLA posted its most wins, 22, since 2018 and its fewest losses in a season, five, since 2000. Setter Miles Partain became UCLA’s first MPSF Player of the Year since 2000 and led a group of three first-team AVCA All-America selections — also Champlin and McHenry. The Bruins returned to the No. 1 spot in the AVCA poll for a nine-week run which was its longest stretch on top since a 13-week stay in 1995. UCLA closed out the MPSF regular season atop the league standings with an 11-1 record.
Speraw achieved milestone wins No. 100 at UCLA and No. 300 overall during 2018. In addition, he led UCLA to the NCAA Championship match and to the most program wins (26) at the time since 2006. VolleyballMag.com recognized these achievements by naming Speraw its 2018 Coach of the Year.
Voted the 2006 AVCA Coach of the Year, Speraw was named head coach at UCLA in June of 2012. He came to UCLA from UC Irvine where he led the Anteaters to three NCAA titles, two Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) regular season titles (2006, 2009) and a pair of MPSF Tournament crowns (2007, 2012). He guided UCI to a 199-106 record in his ten seasons and had the Anteaters ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation in five different seasons.
Speraw has also enjoyed an extensive coaching resume with the U.S. Men’s National team. After serving as Assistant Coach for the 2008 (Gold in Beijing) and 2012 Olympic Games (advanced to the quarterfinals at London), Speraw was elevated to head coach of the U.S. Men’s Volleyball National Team in March of 2013. The U.S. qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games by winning the 2015 World Cup competition and went on to capture the Bronze medal at the Rio Games. In the summer of 2018, Speraw directed the U.S. Men’s National Team to its first FIVB World Championship medal in 24 years when it beat Serbia for the bronze in Turin, Italy. In December of 2021, he signed on to remain as the U.S. National Team coach through the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
The U.S. men qualified for the 2024 Paris Game by winning the FIVB Qualifying Tournament in the summer of 2023. Bruins Garrett Muagututia (2007-10 at UCLA) and Micah Ma’a (2016-19) were chosen to wear the red, white and blue for the Paris Olympic team. The U.S. qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Games (held in 2021 due to the pandemic) by winning their Intercontinental Qualifying Pool during the summer of 2019. Bruins Ma’a, Mitch Stahl (2014-17) and Muagututia represented their country in that competition and were also part of the U.S. silver and bronze medal-winning efforts at the FIVB Volleyball Nations League and FIVB World Cup, respectively. Stahl and Muagututia went on to see action for the U.S. in Tokyo.
The Bruin grad was named UCLA’s head coach on June 5, 2012. Speraw assumed the duties of his collegiate mentor, Al Scates, and has been a part of nine NCAA men’s volleyball championship teams (1993-player; 1995-player;1996-asst. coach; 1998-asst. coach; 2000-asst. coach; 2007-head coach; 2009-head coach; 2012-head coach; 2023-head coach).
Speraw’s 2021 UCLA team finished with a 15-6 mark and placed second in the MPSF. The attack was led by honorable mention All-America selections Cole Ketrzynski, Merrick McHenry and Sam Kobrine. Ethan Champlin was named a Freshman All-America selection. Ketrzynski ranked among the top 10 nationally in aces (0.49) and points per set (4.8). McHenry’s .423 hitting percentage was 12th in the nation. The Bruin team ranked among the nation’s top five in set assists (2nd-12.5), kills (3rd-13.3), aces (5th-1.6) and hitting percentage (5th-.330).
In 2020, UCLA completed the virus-shortened campaign with a 10-9 mark. Daenan Gyimah earned first-team AVCA All-America honors for the third time and was selected the winner of the Ryan Millar Award as the nation’s top middle attacker for a third straight season. Setter Mads Kyed Jensen ranked fourth nationally in aces (0.60) and was a finalist for the National Server of the Year award. The Bruin team rated third in the country in service aces (1.9). Kyed Jensen and Ketrzynski were each picked to the Off the Block Freshman All-America team.
In 2019, the Bruins utilized 13 different starting lineups, while battling injuries, to finish second in the MPSF standings. Setter Micah Ma’a became the all-time school leader in service aces while setting a single-season record with 64 aces. Ma’a and Gyimah each earned first-team AVCA All-America honors for the second straight season. Gyimah won the Ryan Millar Award as the nation’s top middle attacker. Ma’a was named National Co-Server of the Year.
In 2018, Speraw was named the VolleyballMag.com Men’s College Coach of the Year after leading his team into the NCAA Championship match. UCLA finished 26-8, recording the most wins by the program at the time since the 2006 championship campaign. The Bruins, who finished second in the MPSF, avenged a loss in the league championship contest at BYU by sending the No. 2-seeded Cougars home in an NCAA Semifinal match. Earlier in 2018, he secured a pair of milestone victories including his 100th win at UCLA (vs. Penn St.) and his 300th career win as a head coach (vs. Ohio State). The 14-1 start to the season was the best by a Bruin team since the 2005 squad opened with wins in 15 of its first 16 matches. UCLA earned the No. 2 spot in the final AVCA Coaches poll. Ma’a and Gyimah, who was named winner of the Ryan Millar Award as the nation’s top middle attacker, each merited first-team All-America honors.
In a streaky 2017 campaign, Jake Arnitz and Mitch Stahl went on to earn first-team All-MPSF honors. Arnitz was a second-team AVCA All-America pick for the second straight season. The squad ranked in the top four in the country in hitting percentage, kills, set assists and service aces. However, UCLA could not find consistency around a pair of seven-match win streaks during the season and finished fifth in the MPSF.
The 2016 season saw UCLA return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since it had captured the 19th national title in the program’s history in 2006. The 25 wins were the most since that same season and the Bruins, who tied for second in the league during the regular season, advanced to the championship match of the MPSF Tournament and the national semifinals. Ma’a earned first-team AVCA All-America honors and Arnitz and Stahl were second-team selections. UCLA spent four weeks at number one in the polls during the season. The 10-0 start to the season was the best since 1998. The Bruins ranked among the nation’s Top 10 in aces, blocks, kills, set assists and hitting percentage.
In 2015, Speraw guided a Bruin team which featured four freshman starters. JT Hatch earned MPSF Freshman of the Year honors and second-team All-MPSF accolades. He was joined on the All-MPSF Freshman team by Arnitz. Trent Kersten posted the ninth-best hitting percentage mark in the NCAA.
In 2014, Speraw’s Bruins peaked at No. 1 in the AVCA poll after winning the Outrigger Hotels Invitational and defeating then top-ranked Stanford. Injuries led to several lineup adjustments over the balance of the season and the team tied for fifth in the MPSF. Late victories down the stretch over Long Beach and BYU helped rally the team for post-season. However, the Bruins dropped a hard-fought five-setter at UC Santa Barbara in the opening round of the league tournament. Three players earned AVCA All-America recognition – Gonzalo Quiroga – 1st team; Spencer Rowe and Robart Page – Honorable Mention. Rowe repeated as a Capital One third-team Academic All-America selection.
In 2013, Speraw won his 200th career collegiate match, defeating UCSB on Jan. 4, 2013 in his first regular season match as coach at UCLA. Speraw guided the Bruins to a 21-11 overall record and a fourth-place finish in the rugged MPSF. Team accomplishments included a tournament championship at the Outrigger Hotels Invitational, league sweeps over rivals USC and Pepperdine and a first-round MPSF playoff victory — the Bruins’ first since 2006. Individually, UCLA produced a pair of AVCA All-Americans in first-team selection Quiroga and second-team choices Rowe and Evan Mottram. The three players also earned All-MPSF honors. In addition, Rowe became the first UCLA men’s volleyball player in 13 years to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
In the summer of 2014, Coach Speraw guided the U.S. men’s volleyball team to an upset win over top-ranked and three-time reigning World champion Brazil in the FIVB World League gold-medal match. Brazil had won gold or silver at each of the previous three Olympics. The U.S. finished with an overall record of 6-4, including three wins over teams ranked among the top six in the world.
Prior to his appointment as the U.S. head coach, Speraw enjoyed a wide variety of experience and success on the international level, including serving as an assistant coach with the U. S. Men’s National Team that captured the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. 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 Olympiads. Speraw also served as assistant coach to Alan Knipe for the 2012 U.S. Men’s Olympic Team, which finished fifth after winning its pool. Earlier that year, he returned as the assistant coach for the FIVB World League and filled in as head coach for the 2012 World League team for four oversees pool play matches. The U.S. men won the silver medal in the FIVB World League Final Round.
Speraw joined the U.S. men’s staff in 2007, serving under Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon. After winning the gold medal, 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 2004, Speraw served as head coach of the U.S. Men’s Junior National Volleyball Team that took home the silver medal at the NORCECA Men’s Junior (U-21) Continental Volleyball Championship to qualify for the 2005 Championships. He also 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 and 2007).
In the collegiate ranks, Speraw directed UC Irvine to a 26-5 mark and their third NCAA Championship in 2012 before leaving to return to Westwood in June. In 2009, he guided UCI to a 27-5 overall record and finished the year ranked No. 1 in the country with the school’s second NCAA title. During the season, the Anteaters were ranked No. 1 for eight weeks, the most of any team in the nation that season. UC Irvine also captured the MPSF regular season crown that year. In 2007, the Anteaters claimed their first national title, winning its initial MPSF tournament championship while ending the year with the No. 1 ranking and registering a school-record 29 victories, a win total that was the best among all NCAA Division I-II schools that season.
Speraw was named 2006 AVCA National Coach of the Year, as well as, MPSF and Volleyball Magazine Coach of the Year. He was a finalist for National Coach of the Year three times while at UCI. In 2006, the Anteaters claimed their first-ever regular season MPSF title, finishing with a 20-2 league record. The team won a school-record 21 consecutive matches to end the regular season and held the top ranking in the nation for eight consecutive weeks.
Speraw, who compiled a 199-106 (.652) overall record at UC Irvine, mentored both the AVCA Division I-II Men’s National Player of the Year and the AVCA Division I-II Men’s Newcomer of the Year in 2006 (Jayson Jablonsky). UC Irvine players earned All-America distinction 21 times during Speraw’s tenure at UCI, including nine first-teamers. While at Irvine, Speraw’s players also captured MPSF Player of the Year, MPSF Freshman of the Year, NCAA Championship MVP, NCAA All-Tournament Team, numerous national and conference Player of the Week honors as well as academic distinctions such as Academic All-American, MPSF & UCI Scholar-Athletes and Lauds & Laurels Athlete of the Year. Speraw, who had a team ranked No. 1 in five different seasons at UCI, placed the Anteaters in the Top 10 of the final rankings all but one year while at the helm.
In 2008, he received a Pillar Award, which showcases outstanding achievement in ethical leadership at the 12th Annual Ethics in America Awards. Speraw was also named to OC METRO Business Magazine’s 18th annual list of the Hottest 25 Business People of Orange County and was tabbed No. 16 in the Daily Pilot’s 2007 Top 103 Most Influential People in the Newport/Costa Mesa Area. Speraw was on the Most Influential list his last four years at UCI, including the Sports Newsmaker of the Year in 2006.
Prior to his appointment at UC Irvine, Speraw was involved with UCLA’s program for 12 years as a player and assistant coach. He lettered four seasons as a middle blocker, was a member of two NCAA championship teams (1993, 1995), and earned NCAA All-Tournament honors for the Bruins in 1995. As a senior in ’95, he started 29 matches as the Bruins rolled to a 31-1 record and swept Penn State for their 15th NCAA title. In the final against the Nittany Lions, Speraw hit .625 (11-1-16) with eight blocks. For the tournament, he hit .586 (18-1-29). In his four-year career, Speraw produced at a .421 clip with 394 kills. He boasted a career blocking average of 1.3 bpg.
After earning his undergraduate degree in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from UCLA in 1995, Speraw served three seasons (1996-98) as a volunteer assistant coach — while also working at the UCLA Hospital — before being elevated to a full-time position in the summer of 1998. He remained in that post until taking the UC Irvine job in 2002. Overall, he was involved with five NCAA title teams (1993, 95, 96, 98 and 2000) during his playing and coaching tenure at UCLA. John and his wife, Michelle, have two children, Brooklyn and Hailey.
