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Dec. 15: McCutcheon Accepts U.S. Women's National Team Head Coach Position

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Dec. 15, 2008) – 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) has accepted the head coach position of the U.S. Women’s National Team for the 2009-2012 Olympic quadrennial, according to USA Volleyball Chief Executive Officer Doug Beal.

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.

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 leaves the U.S. Men’s National Team program with a 107-33 overall record in four years and Team USA ranked second in the current FIVB World Ranking, its highest ranking ever.

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.

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