17 NCAA Championships • 135 UAA Titles
87 Academic All-Americans

 
   

Rich Luenemann Named AVCA Central Region Coach of the Year

St. Louis, Mo., November 13, 2008 – Rich Luenemann, head coach of the No. 3 Washington University volleyball team, was named the 2008 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Central Region Coach of the Year, as announced by the association on Thursday.

Luenemann has led his squad to a 31-6 overall record in 2008, winning the 2008 University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship with a 3-2 win over then No. 1 Emory University, and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division III Tournament. It is the fourth time he has been tabbed as the Central Region Coach of the Year (2000, 2003, 2005, 2008), and Luenemann has twice earned AVCA National Coach of the Year honors (2003 and 2007).

In his 10 seasons on the Danforth Campus, Luenemann has guided the Bears to a 345-47 (.880) overall mark. He has won two national championships, in 2003 and most recently in 2007, and eight UAA titles. In 27 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Luenemann has compiled an overall record of 935-309 (.752).

After graduating two key veterans from Washington University’s 2007 national championship team, Luenemann has the Red and Green right back in the title hunt in 2008. The Bears are 31-6 overall this season despite playing one of the toughest schedules in the country. Washington U. has faced nine teams ranked in the AVCA top-25 poll, posting a 6-3 record in those matches.

With the win over Emory University on Nov. 8, Washington U. clinched its third UAA Championship over the past five seasons. After winning the conference title, Luenemann and his staff of Louella Maxwell, Charlie Rodman, Brent Ruoff, Paula Urbanek, Geoff Davis and Jim Hunstein received UAA Coaching Staff of the Year honors.

Prior to coming to Washington University Luenemann spent 18 years at the head coach at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill., where he posted a 590-262 (.692) overall record. At the helm of Washington University’s storied volleyball program, Luenemann has qualified for 10 NCAA Tournaments, winning eight regional championships. With a 3-0 win over Frostburg State University in the opening round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament on Thursday afternoon, he improved his NCAA record to 36-7.

The Bears will return to action on Friday, Nov. 14, when they face the College of Mount St. Joseph in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals in Springfield, Ohio, at 4:30 p.m. (ET).