After leading the US women to a silver medal finish at the Beijing Olympic Games, Jenny Lang Ping stepped down as head coach, citing a desire to spend more time with her family.
Shortly thereafter, USAV announced that men's coach Hugh McCutcheon, who led the men to a gold medal in Beijing, would take over as head coach of the women's team. McCutcheon says he will make the move to the women's side because there are five times as many collegiate programs to choose from in women's volleyball than in men's. He believes that getting experience coaching women will improve his resume should he decide to enter the college ranks after 2012.
The job McCutcheon vacated was open until April 1st, when USAV announced the hiring of Alan Knipe as the new head men's volleyball coach. Knipe, 40, will take a leave of absence from his head coaching position at Long Beach State in order to lead the Olympic team. In his eight years at the helm at Long Beach, he led the 49ers to the NCAA Finals in 2004 and was named National Coach of the Year that same season. His team reached the semi-finals of the Final Four in 2008.
Knipe played at Long Beach State as well, winning a national title in 1990 and was named All-America in 1992. He played briefly for the national team and then competed professionally overseas before beginning his coaching career.
With the coaching questions answered, both the women's and men's squads are set to begin training in Anaheim this summer.
