John Speraw facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Speraw |
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Speraw in 2015
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| Born | October 18, 1971 Arcadia, California, U.S. |
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| Hometown | California | ||||||
| College(s) | UCla | ||||||
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| Current team | USA Volleyball | ||||||
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| Last updated: May 4, 2024 | |||||||
John Speraw, born on October 18, 1971, is a famous American volleyball coach and former player. He is now the President and CEO of USA Volleyball, which is like the main organization for volleyball in the U.S. Before this, he was the head coach for the United States men's national volleyball team, the UCLA Bruins college team, and the UC Irvine Anteaters college team.
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Playing College Volleyball
John Speraw played as a middle blocker for the UCLA Bruins men's volleyball team. While playing for UCLA, he helped his team win two big championships. These were the NCAA National Championships in 1993 and 1995. He finished college at UCLA in 1995. After graduating, he started helping out as a volunteer assistant coach. In 1998, he became a full-time coach.
Becoming a Head Coach
Leading UC Irvine to Victories
From 2002 to 2012, Speraw was the head coach for the UC Irvine Anteaters men's volleyball team. Under his coaching, the Anteaters won the NCAA National Championships three times. They won in 2007, 2009, and 2012.
Coaching the UCLA Bruins
In 2012, John Speraw returned to UCLA. He became the head coach for the men's volleyball team there. In 2023, he led the UCLA team to win their first national championship since 2006. The team won again in 2024, making it their 21st championship overall!
Coaching the U.S. National Team
John Speraw also coached the United States men's national volleyball team.
Assistant Coach for the Olympics
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Speraw was an assistant coach. He helped the U.S. team win a gold medal. He continued as an assistant coach at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The U.S. team finished fifth in that competition.
Head Coach for the Olympics
In 2013, Speraw became the head coach for the U.S. men's volleyball team. Under his leadership, the team won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the team did not make it past the first round. This was the first time in over 20 years that this happened. In 2023, Speraw coached the team to a silver medal at the FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League. They lost to Poland in the final match.
New Role at USA Volleyball
On September 26, 2024, John Speraw was chosen to be the President and CEO of USA Volleyball. This is a very important leadership role. At the same time, he stepped down from his coaching jobs. He left his positions as head coach for the U.S. men's national team and the UCLA Bruins men's volleyball team.
Achievements and Awards
John Speraw has received many honors for his work in volleyball:
- He is the only person in men's volleyball history to win an NCAA Championship as a head coach, an assistant coach, and a player.
- NCAA Champion as UC Irvine Head Coach: 2007, 2009, and 2012
- NCAA Champion as UCLA Head Coach: 2023, 2024
- NCAA Champion as UCLA Assistant Coach: 1996, 1998, and 2000
- NCAA Champion as UCLA Player: 1993 and 1995
- MPSF Coach of the Year: 2006
- U.S. National Indoor Team Head Coach, Bronze Medal at 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics
- U.S. National Indoor Team Assistant Coach, Gold Medal at 2008 Beijing Olympics
See also
