USA Volleyball Looks to Beach — Long Beach

Alan Knipe has quietly put together one of the best men’s volleyball programs in the nation — now he is going to put together the national team program.

The Long Beach State coach was tapped with the three-year commitment to be head coach of USA Volleyball’s men’s team through the 2012 Olympics in London.

No pressure, it’s not like the USA Men’s volleyball team won the gold medal in Beijing. Wait… they did? Seriously? We were only watching the beach volleyball, sorry. Well, then good luck to him.

Knipe has done this before, sort of. He was the head coach for the USA Men's National Team at the 2008 Pan America Cup in Winnipeg, Canada, and that team won a gold medal. And his team’s style of play at Long Beach has had an international-style look and feel to it for years.

It’s a pretty good deal for Long Beach — they hire an interim coach for three years then get the national team coach back, which I have to think helps with recruiting. It’s good for everyone. Well, maybe not the guy with the interim gig who has a sword over his head for three years, but aside him….