Karch Kiraly, San Clemente Volleyball Legend, Named Head Coach of U.S. Women's Team

At an Anaheim press conference today, San Clemente's Karch Kiraly was named the new coach of the U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team.

As an assistant coach, 51-year-old Kiraly just helped the squad win its second consecutive gold medal at the London Olympics.
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The announcement was made in Anaheim because that is where the team trains.

“I have revered representing the USA and wearing the red, white and blue
ever since my first experience with the Junior National Team at 16
years old,” said Kiraly, according to a statement released by USA Volleyball. “It is a tremendous honor to be asked to lead
such a powerful volleyball program, and I am thrilled to be able to
carry forward the effort expended by this hard-working and talented
group of athletes–an effort led by my mentor and friend, previous
(U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team) Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon, and
his staff.”

The respect is mutual.

“I could not be happier with USA Volleyball's decision to select Karch
as the head coach of the USA Women's National Volleyball Team,”
McCutcheon says of his successor, in the same statement. “He's a great man and a wonderful
volleyball coach–this is a fantastic hire.”

Charles Frederick “Karch” Kiraly graduated from Santa Barbara High School before attending UCLA. The member of the Volleyball Hall of Fame and U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame is the only American volleyball player to have won Olympic gold
medals both in indoor volleyball (1984 and 1988) and beach volleyball
(1996).

He went on to work as a broadcaster for ESPN and provided commentary to NBC coverage of the AVP and beach volleyball at the 2008 summer Olympics. But in 2009, he accepted McCutcheon's offer to join him on the sidelines for the national women's team. As Kiraly takes over a team that is currently ranked No. 1 in the world, McCutcheon is heading to the University of Minnesota to assume the head women's volleyball coach position.
 
Kiraly resides in San Clemente with his wife Janna and sons Kristian and Kory. His career accomplishments follow on the next page.
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Indoor
 
1988 Olympics (Gold)
      – Team captain
      – Team MVP
      – 137 kills, 16 block stuffs, 15 block assists, 60 percent kill percentage
1987 Pan American Games (Gold)
1986 World Championship (Gold)
      – All-tournament honors
      – Named “World's Best Volleyball Player” by FIVB President Ruben Acosta
1985 World Cup (Gold)
      – MVP
1985 NORCECA (Gold)
1985 Appointed Team Captain of National Team
1984 Olympics (Gold)
      – Outside/swing hitter
      – Passer
      – Youngest player on team (23)
      – Played in all games (19), more than any other player
      – FIVB Sportsmanship Award
      – Connected on 74 of 158 spike attempts
1983 NORCECA (Gold)
1981 NORCECA (silver)
1979-1982 UCLA
     Setter/Hitter (6-2)
     1982 NCAA Championship (1st)
     1981 NCAA Championship (1st)
     1980 NCAA Championship (2nd)
     1979 NCAA Championship (1st)
     124-5 in Matches during 4 years
1977-1979 U.S. Men's Junior National Team
     1979 World University Games
        – Starting setter
     1979 Pacific Rim Tournament (1st)
        – MVP
     1978 Pacific Rim Tournament (1st)
     1977 Pacific Rim Tournament
1976-1978 Santa Barbara High School
       – 1978 State MVP (CIF)
       – Won 83 straight matches
       – Undefeated in senior season
 
Beach
 
Gold Medal at the 1996 Olympic Games with Kent Steffes
U.S. domestic tournaments: 1st (144 times) $3,114,998
FIVB international tournaments: 1st (3 times) $83,750
 
AVP Best Defensive Player 2002
AVP Best Offensive Player 1990, 1993, 1994
AVP Comeback Player of the Year 1997
AVP Miller Lite Cup Champion 1996
AVP Most Inspirational 1998
AVP Most Valuable Player 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998
AVP Outstanding Achievement 2004
AVP Special Achievement 2002
AVP Sportsman of the Year 1995, 1997, 1998
AVP Team of the Year 2004 (Mike Lambert)

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