Olympics | Karch Kiraly: The Next Chapter

Volleyblog Seattle authors Volleyball Magazine feature about USA head coach Karch Kiraly

Your Volleyblog Seattle correspondents were honored to write a feature article about Karch Kiraly for the January 2013 issue of Volleyball Magazine.

Coach men or coach women?

University of Washington coach Jim McLaughlin won a national title coaching the USC men's team. But, long ago, he switched to coaching women, becomming the first coach to ever win NCAA titles with both men and women.

Now, Hugh McCutcheon is doing the same.

I often contribute stories to the Seattle Times; the latest is about McCutcheon's choice and his upcoming visit to Seattle:

Olympic Coach here for Volleyball Clinic
HUGH McCUTCHEON Man who coached U.S. men to 2008 gold will coach women in 2012

by Jack Hamann
special to the Seattle Times

He could have coached any men’s volleyball team in the world.

He’s decided, instead, to coach women.

Hugh McCutcheon was one of the biggest stories of the Beijing Olympics, leading the U.S. men’s team to unexpected gold, despite the murder of his father-in-law the day after the Games’ opening ceremonies.

Two weeks ago, McCutcheon announced that he had spurned offers to join the lucrative overseas professional volleyball circuit to become the head coach of the U.S. women’s national team.

It was a bittersweet decision.

“Our sport is not like other sports,” McCutcheon says, “especially for coaches. There are just not as many opportunities in men’s volleyball as in women’s.