The Collegiate Volleyball Update (CVU.com) is pleased to announce its selection of Santa Clara coach Jon Wallace as the 2005 CVU.com National Coach of the Year.
In his seventh year at the helm, Wallace guided the Broncos to their best season under his tenure and made history in the process. Santa Clara finished the 2005 season with not only a school-record tying 27 victories, but also with the team's first-ever trip to the National Semifinals.
Another big first came on the Broncos' way there, as they defeated Stanford for the first time in 20 attempts. Santa Clara also finished with a program-best No. 4 ranking in the CSTV/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll, marking the first time it's ended a season ranked in the Top 10. The Broncos also added a West Coast Conference Championship to their season accolades and Wallace picked up conference Coach of the Year honors.
Wallace finished the season with a 27-5 record, improving his career-mark to 156-58 and 78-20 in West Coast Conference Play. Prior to taking over at Santa Clara in 1999, Wallace was an assistant coach at Pepperdine and played his college volleyball at Santa Barbara.
Receiving honorable mention nods are Tennessee coach Rob Patrick, Ohio's Geoff Carlson, the College of Charleston's Sherry Dunbar and Wayne Kreklow of Missouri.
Patrick, last year's CVU.com National Coach of the Year, led the Lady Vols to the National Semifinals with upset victories over Penn State and Missouri. It was Tennessee's first time advancing to the semis as the Lady Vols ran off four post season victories (Jacksonville State, Minnesota, Penn State and Missouri) before falling to Washington
Carlson, meanwhile, guided Ohio to its first-ever trip to the Regionals with victories over Marshall and Ohio, just missing the upset of Arizona. The Bobcats are only the third Mid-American Conference team to make an appearance in the semis. The 33 wins are also a record, the most for a MAC program, and Ohio led the nation in both kills and assists per game this season.
Another coach leading her team to a record setting year was the College of Charleston's Dunbar. In only her third season, Dunbar guided the Cougars to their best overall mark since moving to Division I (32-2), and an undefeated Southern Conference season (18-0), not to mention 2005 CVU.com Digging Team of the Year honors and Top Five Defensive Team of the Year recognition. Even bigger, CofC became the first Southern Conference team to earn an NCAA Tournament victory, defeating North Carolina in the first round. Dunbar also earned conference Coach of the Year honors and is 85-13 in three years as head coach.
A run to the NCAA Regional Finals was just one highlight of Missouri's best season ever. Under the guidance of Kreklow, the Tigers had a team-record winning percentage .833 as they went 25-5. They also recorded a team-record 16 Big 12 Conference wins and advanced further then they ever had into the NCAA tournament. Kreklow, along with his wife Susan, who is an associate head coach, has been at Missouri six years.
Coach of the Year
Jon Wallace, Santa Clara
Honorable Mention
- Rob Patrick, Tennessee
- Geoff Carlson, Ohio
- Wayne Kreklow, Missouri
- Sherry Dunbar, College of Charleston
The Honorable Mentions are not listed in a specific order and should be referred to as an "Honorable Mention" or one of the "Top Five."
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