Less than four months after leading the U.S. Men's
Olympic Volleyball Team to a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing,
Hugh McCutcheon (Christchurch, New Zealand) accepted the head coach position with
the U.S. Women's National Team for the 2009-2012 Olympic quadrennial.
"This is a great opportunity for me to further
develop professionally,†said McCutcheon after his appointment in December. “I'm
excited by the challenges this change presents, and I'm optimistic that some of
the knowledge we've acquired with the men's program can translate to the women.
"There will be differences in systems and aspects of
developing team culture but, at the end of the day, the fundamental principles
of volleyball are not gender-specific,†he added.
"Hugh proved throughout the past quadrennial his
abilities as a great coach, motivator and program manager," said USA
Volleyball Chief Executive Officer Doug Beal. "The direction he provided
allowed our men to steadily climb into position to be champions. Rarely has a
team been so good so often under such intense pressure as they were in Beijing.
I look forward to him bringing his talents, abilities, personality and philosophy
to our women's program. USA Volleyball is indeed fortunate and pleased to be
able to retain Hugh within our national team structure."
Beal notes this is not an uncommon situation in
international or professional volleyball. There are many examples of coaches
moving from one gender to the other, most notably Jose Roberto Guimaraes (Ze
Roberto), who led the Brazilian men's team to the gold medal at the 1992
Olympic Games, and matched that success by leading the Brazilian women to the
gold medal in Beijing.
"Successful coaches are successful coaches,"
Beal said. "I have every confidence that Hugh can learn the differences
that surely exist between genders and apply his philosophy to our women's team
in a positive way."
As the head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team at the
2008 Olympic Games, McCutcheon, 39, and Team USA went undefeated in Beijing to
claim its third Olympic Games gold medal and its first podium finish since
1992. He compiled a 107-33 record in four years with the U.S. Men's National
Team program, which ended 2008 ranked second in the FIVB World Ranking.
The U.S. enjoyed one of its best seasons ever in 2008
under McCutcheon's guidance as the team won all three of its major tournaments
of the year. Team USA secured its first-ever FIVB World League championship in
July 2008 after a bronze medal finish in the same event in 2007, the first time
the Americans earned back-to-back medals in the annual event. The U.S. started
the 2008 campaign in dominating fashion by sweeping all five matches at the
NORCECA Men's Continental Olympic Qualifier to earn its berth in the 2008
Olympics.
The U.S. Men opened the 2007 season with a third-place
finish at World League. McCutcheon handed the team over to assistant coach Ron
Larsen for the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The United
States finished 4-1 in the event, with its only loss coming to hometown
favorite Brazil in the gold-medal match.
McCutcheon and his men won the gold medal in the 2007
Americas' Cup, defeating a young Brazilian team in the final. Then the United
States hosted and won the 2007 NORCECA Men's Continental Championship in
Anaheim, Calif. McCutcheon was presented with the inaugural Jim Coleman Award
as the tournament's most outstanding coach.
In 2006, the U.S. Men encountered some bumps in the road
to Beijing. Nevertheless, the team finished the season with a winning record at
18-14. In April 2006, McCutcheon and the team moved their center of operations
from Colorado Springs, Colo. The move had many benefits as it put the team in
the center of the men's volleyball universe in Southern California and also
removed the effects of Colorado's high altitude on the team's serves.
But injuries and the disruption caused by moving the team
caught up with Team USA at FIVB World League, where it did not advance from
pool play and finished tied for 10th. That was followed by another 10th-place
finish at the 2006 FIVB World Championships in Japan. The U.S. Men's world
ranking slipped from fifth to eighth
However, 2006 ended on a high note for McCutcheon, who
married U.S. Women's National Team player and 2004 Olympian Elisabeth
"Wiz" Bachman on Dec. 9 in Minneapolis.
The U.S. Men's Team flourished in McCutcheon's first year
as head coach in 2005 by going 27-6 and winning five medals in five
tournaments. The team earned a silver medal at the USOC International Sports
Invitational in San Diego, Calif., gold medals at the Americas' Cup in Brazil,
the FIVB World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico and the
NORCECA Continental Championship in Canada and another silver medal at the FIVB
World Grand Champions Cup in Japan.
McCutcheon, a former Brigham Young University assistant
coach, joined USA Volleyball as a full-time assistant coach for the men's
national team program in April 2003.
McCutcheon was no stranger to the organization. In the
summers of 2001 and 2002, respectively, he served as a volunteer assistant
coach for the men's national team, helping out during the 2001 World League,
the 2002 World Championships and on five international tours.
He has also served as the head coach of the USA Boys
Youth National Team in 2000 and 2001. McCutcheon was the top assistant coach
and recruiter for BYU from 1995- 2001 under head coach Carl McGown. During that
time, the Cougars posted a record of 138- 44 and captured two NCAA men's
volleyball championships (1999 and 2001).
After leaving BYU, McCutcheon was the head coach of the
Vienna Hotvolleys in Austria for two seasons. In his first season there, the
Hotvolleys won the 2001-02 Inter-Liga, Austrian Cup and Austrian League
championships. He also coached the first Austrian team to ever beat an Italian
A1 opponent.
McCutcheon's love for volleyball developed in New Zealand
where he played on the junior and senior national teams from 1986-90 before
coming to the United States. He was also a member of New Zealand's national
team in 1996 and represented his country on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World
Tour in 1997.
He played for BYU from 1991-1993 after transferring from
the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. In 1993 he earned honorable
mention All-America honors. In 1992 he earned Academic All-Conference honors
from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
After receiving his bachelor's degree in physical
education from BYU in 1993, McCutcheon played professionally for two years in
Finland and Japan before returning to BYU to complete his master's degree in
exercise science in 1998.
In 1999, McCutcheon received an MBA from BYU's Marriott
School of Management.
Quick facts:
Years in charge: First Year
Hometown: Christchurch, New Zealand
Resides: Irvine, California
Family: Wife is Elisabeth "Wiz" Bachman
McCutcheon
College: Brigham Young University (Bachelors in physical
education in 1993, master's in exercise science in 1998, MBA in 1999)