Post by bigfan on Dec 16, 2004 11:38:41 GMT -5
LBSU's other success
By Doug Krikorian
Staff columnist
The American Volleyball Coaches Association is passing out its Coach of the Year honors today, and a gentleman from Long Beach State is one of the recipients.
Not surprising.
The esteemed women's volleyball coach, Brian Gimmillaro, has earned countless of these honors throughout the years.
But this time it's the 35-year-old men's volleyball coach at Long Beach State, Mr. Alan Knipe, who is being hailed for his achievements last spring that saw his 49ers go 28-7 and advance to the NCAA championship finals where they lost to top-seeded BYU in five tense games, the final one being decided by a 19-17 margin.
It was said for the longest time that being the men's volleyball coach at Long Beach State was like being the football coach at Duke immersed in the shadow of Mike Krzyzewski.
Or like coaching basketball at USC when John McKay was winning all those football national championships with the Trojans.
Or like coaching football at UCLA when John Wooden was winning all those basketball national championships with the Bruins.
Or like being an opening act for Madonna.
Not that men's volleyball at Long Beach State has been a failure across the seasons it wasn't under Ray Ratelle and hasn't been under Knipe but the fact is Brian Gimmillaro's women's volleyball teams have commanded the greatest amount of media attention, drawn the largest crowds and won the most national championships (three).
But, during his four seasons at Long Beach State since replacing the respected Ratelle, Alan Knipe has etched his own little niche at the school, producing tough, resourceful teams that have done well in the competitive Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
"The award is nice and flattering and quite humbling, but to be honest with you I'm not an individual awards guy," says Knipe. "We only give out one honor on our team, the Dodge Parker Ironman Award, and that goes to the player who works hardest at practices.
"I have to share any success we've had with a coaching staff second to none. I have two great assistants in Greg Vernovage and Andy Read and a great volunteer coach in John Crutchfield.
"And credit also has to go to my players. It wasn't all glory for some of them at Long Beach. We had some tough times, but we stuck together, worked hard, kept improving, and made an impact. The guys never quit and have been a joy to work with."
So, apparently, is Alan Knipe, a vital performer on Ratelle's 1991 national champions who took over the head coaching job at Golden West when he was a mere 24 and guided the school to its first state title.
He joined Ratelle's staff when he was 26 and still playing professional volleyball.
The 6-6 Knipe would give up the latter to concentrate on coaching, and his growth in this area, as well as maturity, enthusiasm, work habits and leadership qualities, made a strong impression on the Long Beach State athletic director, Bill Shumard.
And when Ray Ratelle decided to retire after the 2000 season, Shumard promptly gave Knipe the job, a decision Shumard hasn't regretted.
"Alan is the epitome of everything we stand for at Long Beach State," says Shumard. "He's committed to academics for his student athletes, and doesn't cut corners.
"He has become a terrific coach, and he wins the right way. He's been a product of a great system at Long Beach, but he's put his own signature on the program. We're thrilled with his work."
"A very good young coach who is not only successful now but will continue to be successful," says Gimmillaro. "He's very competitive."
Alan Knipe knows he came within a point last May in Hawaii of receiving his reward today as the coach of the national champion 49ers instead of the second-place finishers.
He knows his team was serving for the win in that fifth game leading 14-13, only to go on to lose in heart-shattering fashion for the fourth time of the season to BYU.
He knows he was a participant in an epic match that will never be forgotten by those fortunate enough to have witnessed it.
"It probably was one of the most exciting championship volleyball matches ever held," says Knipe. "Sure it still gnaws at me at what happened, especially when people come up to me and say how sorry they are about us losing such a close match.
"But I'm proud at the way we played. We played one of our best matches of the season in the biggest one. At least we didn't lay an egg. But that's now a closed chapter.
"We lost three terrific starters from that team, but we have three coming back including our terrific setter Tyler Hillebrand. He's as important to us as Misty May was to Brian Gimmillaro's team."
Alan Knipe was considered one of the bright young coaching minds in volleyball when Shumard hired him, but he still had his early struggles with the 49ers.
His team in 2002 went 13-18.
"It was a humbling experience," he says. "The same core group on that team with a losing record was the one that came close to winning the title last spring.
"There were adjustments for me after I became a head coach, things I had to learn. As a player, I was very much emotionally driven. You get mad as a player, you can get better. You can hit the ball harder.
"But as a coach, you don't have that luxury. It's tough for players to perform for a coach who is very emotional. You have to learn to keep an even keel. At first, I let losses affect me too much and probably went overboard on victories. I'm definitely different now.
"You also have to learn to have patience with the developmental process of young men. Not every kid at 18 is going to play the way we want him to. You have to realize it takes some kids longer to develop than others, and this is where patience is important.
"What I like most about coaching is passing on the knowledge I've learned from some great coaches. It's just not the teaching of how to hit or block. It's the teaching of the intricacies of the game, and watching the sparkle in the kids' eyes when it all clicks in."
Alan Knipe hopes his current job will be the final one of his life.
"It's a fabulous job, and I don't plan on ever leaving," he says. "Long Beach State is Volleyball U. There isn't a school in the country with better men's and women's programs with such a strong support from the community, the student body and the school administrators. I just can't say enough about the backing I've received from our president, Dr. (Robert) Maxson and Bill Shumard.
"My goal is for us to keep moving forward, and to put a few championship banners up there on the Pyramid wall beside the one from the team I played on."
-The McDonnell-Douglas Show, featuring Press-Telegram columnist Doug Krikorian and radio personality Joe McDonnell, can be heard Monday through Friday between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on ESPN radio, KSPN 710 AM.
