Men's Volleyball, Sports

Women’s volleyball coach bound for Hall

Long Beach State women’s volleyball head coach Brian Gimmillaro has been chosen as one of three inductees into the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame for 2008. This honor is given to those who exemplify extraordinary service to the game of volleyball.

Gimmillaro has yet to inform his team of his recent accomplishment and is humbled by the honor.

“I feel really lucky [and] I was shocked a few years back when I was given the All-Time Great Coach Award,” he said.

Gimmillaro, who is in his 24th season at LBSU, has led the women’s volleyball team to three national championships, advanced to the Final Four eight times and has qualified for 23 NCAA Tournaments, including 21 straight appearances — a feat matched only by Stanford, Penn State and Nebraska. With Gimmillaro, LBSU has earned a .809 winning percentage (641-151 record).

In 2003, he was the sole recipient of the USA Volleyball All-Time Great Coach Award. He also received the “Excellence in Leadership” award, presented by Leadership Long Beach. However, one of Gimmillaro’s greatest accomplishments is not an individual award, but the numerous players he has coached who have been recognized as some of the nation’s elite.

Gimmillaro coached three of the six players chosen for the NCAA’s 20th Anniversary team in January 2001. All three players participated in the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, and one, Misty May-Treanor, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and has been the MVP of the AVP Pro Beach Tour for the last three seasons.

Gimmillaro said he looks forward to more success with the LBSU women’s volleyball team and in his own coaching career.

“I hope there’s much more of a career ahead and future success,” he said.

Dietre Collins-Parker and Don Shaw will be inducted with Gimmillaro. Collins-Parker is a three time All-American from Hawaii and Shaw is the retired head coach of the women’s and men’s volleyball programs at Stanford.

“If you want to know quality people in volleyball, just look at this year’s AVCA Hall of Fame class,” AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer said of the three inductees. “[They are] remarkable people [with] outstanding achievements.”

The induction ceremonies will be held on Dec. 18 at the Jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon. The ceremonies will be held in conjunction with the 2008 AVCA Annual Convention in Omaha, Neb.

Sports editor Tracy McDannald contributed to this report.

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