John Speraw Departs UCLA to Become USA Volleyball President/CEO
September 25, 2024 | Men's Volleyball
UCLA men's volleyball head coach John Speraw has decided to step away from coaching and has accepted the position of President & CEO of USA Volleyball. Speraw, who played on two NCAA Championship teams at UCLA from 1992-1995, most recently guided the Bruins to back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2023 and 2024, the 20th and 21st in program history.
During his collegiate coaching career, Speraw has received multiple awards, including the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Coach of the Year (two times), the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Coach of the Year (three times) and the Volleyball Magazine Coach of the Year (two times), all while coaching 58 student-athletes to All-American accolades.
"It has been a tremendous honor to coach at UCLA, my alma mater and my home," Speraw said. "I am deeply grateful for my time at UCLA, for the men I had the opportunity to coach, and for the lifelong relationships I made along the way. I was surrounded by an incredible staff over the last 12 years, and their countless hours of hard work and unwavering support have been the backbone of our success. I would like to thank Martin Jarmond for his support as I navigated this difficult decision and my supervisor, Gavin Crew, for his commitment to Men's Volleyball."
"To the alumni, fellow Bruins who I admire and respect, I look forward to taking my place next to you in the stands as we cheer on our current team in their attempt to win a third national championship in a row."
Speraw is 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). His overall collegiate coaching records stands at 445-208 (.681 winning percentage), with a 243-97 (.715) ledger at UCLA.
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, including three-time first-team selections Ethan Champlin, who was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament, and Merrick McHenry, who hit a school record .585 during the season.
In 2023, the Bruins captured the program's 20th NCAA title and the first under Speraw, who was awarded 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.
"All of us at UCLA are incredibly proud of everything that John has accomplished, not only with our volleyball program but also with USA Volleyball," said Martin Jarmond, UCLA's Alice and Nahum Lainer Family Director of Athletics. "There is no one more qualified to oversee the governing body of volleyball in this country than John Speraw. He has such a deep passion for growing the sport, and as the leader of USA Volleyball, he will be well-positioned to continue to elevate it."
"Winning back-to-back NCAA Championships, John has put this program in the best position to succeed moving forward," Jarmond continued. "He is an all-time great Bruin, and we wish him, his wife Michelle, and their family all the best."
Speraw has also enjoyed an extensive coaching resume with the U.S. Men's National team. After serving as an assistant coach for the 2012 Olympic squad and for the 2008 gold-medal winning team, 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. to its first FIVB World Championship medal in 24 years when it beat Serbia for the bronze. In December 2021, he signed on to remain as the U.S. National Team coach through the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where he coached the team to a bronze medal for the second time in his career.
The UCLA graduate assumed the Bruin head coaching duties of his collegiate mentor, Al Scates, on June 5, 2012. Speraw has been a part of 10 NCAA men's volleyball championship teams – two as a player at UCLA (1993, 1995), three as an assistant coach at UCLA (1996, 1998, 2000), three as a head coach at UC Irvine (2007, 2009, 2012), and two as the head coach at UCLA (2023, 2024).
A national search for a replacement will begin immediately.
During his collegiate coaching career, Speraw has received multiple awards, including the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Coach of the Year (two times), the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Coach of the Year (three times) and the Volleyball Magazine Coach of the Year (two times), all while coaching 58 student-athletes to All-American accolades.
"It has been a tremendous honor to coach at UCLA, my alma mater and my home," Speraw said. "I am deeply grateful for my time at UCLA, for the men I had the opportunity to coach, and for the lifelong relationships I made along the way. I was surrounded by an incredible staff over the last 12 years, and their countless hours of hard work and unwavering support have been the backbone of our success. I would like to thank Martin Jarmond for his support as I navigated this difficult decision and my supervisor, Gavin Crew, for his commitment to Men's Volleyball."
"To the alumni, fellow Bruins who I admire and respect, I look forward to taking my place next to you in the stands as we cheer on our current team in their attempt to win a third national championship in a row."
Speraw is 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). His overall collegiate coaching records stands at 445-208 (.681 winning percentage), with a 243-97 (.715) ledger at UCLA.
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, including three-time first-team selections Ethan Champlin, who was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament, and Merrick McHenry, who hit a school record .585 during the season.
In 2023, the Bruins captured the program's 20th NCAA title and the first under Speraw, who was awarded 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.
"All of us at UCLA are incredibly proud of everything that John has accomplished, not only with our volleyball program but also with USA Volleyball," said Martin Jarmond, UCLA's Alice and Nahum Lainer Family Director of Athletics. "There is no one more qualified to oversee the governing body of volleyball in this country than John Speraw. He has such a deep passion for growing the sport, and as the leader of USA Volleyball, he will be well-positioned to continue to elevate it."
"Winning back-to-back NCAA Championships, John has put this program in the best position to succeed moving forward," Jarmond continued. "He is an all-time great Bruin, and we wish him, his wife Michelle, and their family all the best."
Speraw has also enjoyed an extensive coaching resume with the U.S. Men's National team. After serving as an assistant coach for the 2012 Olympic squad and for the 2008 gold-medal winning team, 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. to its first FIVB World Championship medal in 24 years when it beat Serbia for the bronze. In December 2021, he signed on to remain as the U.S. National Team coach through the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where he coached the team to a bronze medal for the second time in his career.
The UCLA graduate assumed the Bruin head coaching duties of his collegiate mentor, Al Scates, on June 5, 2012. Speraw has been a part of 10 NCAA men's volleyball championship teams – two as a player at UCLA (1993, 1995), three as an assistant coach at UCLA (1996, 1998, 2000), three as a head coach at UC Irvine (2007, 2009, 2012), and two as the head coach at UCLA (2023, 2024).
A national search for a replacement will begin immediately.
Players Mentioned
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