The Collegiate Volleyball Update (CVU.com) is please to announce its selection of Oregon coach Jim Moore as the 2007 CVU.com National Coach of the Year.
In only his third season at the helm, Moore guided an Oregon team to its best win total since 1986 as well as the furthest it has ever advanced in postseason play.
After opening the year on a 10-match win streak (and 30-0 in games), the Ducks finished 22-11 overall with a 9-9 mark in Pac-10 play. In the NCAA tournament, Oregon advanced to the third round before finally falling to conference foe UCLA.
Last year Moore led Oregon to its first winning season since 1990 and its first NCAA tournament trip since 1989. This season's NCAA Tournament victory was the first for the Ducks since 1984.
After starting the year strong — and going 32-2 over three years against non-conference foes — the Ducks also finished strong, winning six of seven before the NCAA tournament loss.
Receiving honorable mention honors are St. John's Joanne Persico-Smith, Clemson coach Jolene Jordan Hoover, Tim Horsman of Dayton and Middle Tennessee's Matt Peck.
After leading the Red Storm to its best season last year, her 14th season brought even more success for Persico-Smith and the Red Storm. Improving on last year's 31-5 mark, St. John's went 33-4, advancing to the NCAA Regionals before falling to USC in five. The Red Storm also compiled a 13-1 mark in Big East play while winning the conference tournament. This is Persico-Smith's second honor as she was select in CVU's Top Five last season as well.
With Clemson enjoying its best season since 1999, Hoover led the Tigers to a nine-win jump over last year's mark. Finishing 29-4 while blowing through ACC play with a 21-1 record, Clemson made its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1999 as the Tigers captured their second ACC title in program history. The NCAA tournament trip was also the first since 1999 as Clemson topped Alabama in the first round. Hoover is the program's all-time winningest coach.
Another pair of coaches early in their tenure has been putting their teams on the map nationally. At Middle Tennessee, Peck has the Blue Raiders tasting success, after back-to-back first round victories over Louisville in the NCAA Tournament the past two seasons. After going 16-1 in Sunbelt play, Middle Tennessee finished 35-3 overall, advancing to the NCAA Regional after topping Hawaii in four. The Blue Raiders finished with the fourth best winning percentage in the country, were the first team at Middle Tennessee to advance to the Round of 16 in any sport, and Peck earned conference Coach of the Year honors.
In his fifth season, Horsman has Dayton enjoying unprecedented success as the Flyers have been in the A-10 Tournament title match each year. In the first three of those years Dayton won the crown, and this year saw Dayton regain the title. UD would eventually advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after sweeping Lipscomb. The Flyers finished the year with a 12-1 mark in league play and 33-2 overall for their best season in school history.
Coach of the Year
Jim Moore, Oregon
Honorable Mention
- Joanne Persico-Smith, St. John's
- Jolene Jordan Hoover, Clemson
- Tim Horsman, Dayton
- Matt Peck, Middle Tennessee
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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