John Speraw facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Speraw |
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Speraw in 2015
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| Personal information | |||||||
| 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 October 18, 1971) is a famous American volleyball coach and a former player. He is currently the President and CEO of USA Volleyball. Before this important role, he was the head coach for several top volleyball teams. These included the United States men's national volleyball team, the UCLA Bruins men's volleyball team, and the UC Irvine Anteaters men's volleyball team.
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Playing in College
John Speraw played volleyball as a middle blocker for the UCLA Bruins team. He was a very successful player. With his team, he won two big national championships. These were the NCAA National Championships in 1993 and 1995.
He finished his studies at UCLA in 1995. He earned a degree in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. After graduating, he stayed with the UCLA team. He worked as a volunteer assistant coach for three seasons. In 1998, he became a full-time assistant coach.
Coaching Success
Leading the UC Irvine Anteaters
From 2002 to 2012, John Speraw was the main coach for the UC Irvine Anteaters men's volleyball team. Under his guidance, the Anteaters became very strong. They won the NCAA National Championships three times. These victories happened in 2007, 2009, and 2012.
Returning to UCLA
In 2012, Speraw went back to UCLA. He became the head coach for the men's volleyball team there. In 2023, he led the team to win a national championship. This was UCLA's first championship since 2006. The team then won again in 2024, defending their title. This made it UCLA's 21st overall championship!
Coaching the U.S. National Team
John Speraw also coached the United States men's national volleyball team. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, he was an assistant coach. He helped the team win a gold medal. He continued as an assistant coach at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The USA team finished fifth there.
In 2013, Speraw became the head coach for the U.S. men's volleyball team. Under his coaching, the team earned a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the team did not make it past the first round. This was unusual for them. In 2023, Speraw coached the team to a silver medal. This was 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 given a very important new job. He was named the President and CEO of USA Volleyball. Because of this new role, he stepped down from his coaching positions. He left his jobs as head coach of the U.S. men's national team and the UCLA Bruins men's volleyball team.
Awards and Achievements
John Speraw has achieved many great things 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.
- He won NCAA Championships as head coach for UC Irvine in 2007, 2009, and 2012.
- He won NCAA Championships as head coach for UCLA in 2023 and 2024.
- He won NCAA Championships as assistant coach for UCLA in 1996, 1998, and 2000.
- He won NCAA Championships as a player for UCLA in 1993 and 1995.
- He was named MPSF Coach of the Year in 2006.
- He coached the U.S. National Indoor Team to a Bronze Medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
- He was an assistant coach for the U.S. National Indoor Team when they won a Gold Medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
See also
