Former UCSD Coach Steps in as Interim Head Coach
of U.S. Men’s Volleyball Team in Beijing in Wake of Tragedy

August 18, 2008

Ron Larsen, the former UCSD men's volleyball coach, has been named interim coach of the U.S. Olympic volleyball team.

Former UC San Diego Men’s Volleyball Coach Ron Larsen knows all about overcoming obstacles and dealing with tough situations.

At UCSD from 2000-05, Larsen had what is generally considered the program’s most difficult coaching job, annually sending a non-scholarship NCAA Division II (initially III) squad up against the premier Division I teams in the country as a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). That meant regular match-ups with the likes of UCLA, USC, Stanford, Pepperdine, Brigham Young, Hawaii and a host of other national powers.

While the record may not have always been glossy, Larsen’s knowledge, experience and steady touch brought stability and credibility to a Triton squad that had long been regarded as an easy target by MPSF rivals.

“Ron brought a higher expectation to UCSD men’s volleyball,” says current Triton head coach Kevin Ring, who served six years as Larsen’s assistant. “He instilled the attitude that we could win and should expect to win in the MPSF, instead of just hoping for success.”

That background has no doubt proved beneficial in his current position as the top assistant to U.S. Men’s Volleyball Coach Hugh McCutcheon—particularly given the events of the past week. In Beijing, China, where the Americans are one of 12 men’s volleyball teams competing in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Larsen has been unexpectedly thrust into the limelight by a tragedy that rocked his team Aug. 9, one day after the Games’ opening ceremonies.

“Ron brought a higher expectation to UCSD men’s volleyball. He instilled the attitude that we could win and should expect to win in the MPSF, instead of just hoping for success.”

McCutcheon’s wife, Elisabeth, a member of the 2004 U.S. Women’s Olympic Volleyball team, and her parents were visiting the 13th-century Drum Tower, one of Beijing’s favorite tourist attractions, when Todd Bachman, McCutcheon’s father-in-law, was killed in an apparently random stabbing by a Chinese assailant who then took his own life. Bachman’s wife, Barbara, was also injured in the attack and remains hospitalized.

Needless to say, the incident rocked the U.S. team and family obligations became the priority for McCutcheon. Larsen was named interim head coach and Thursday morning led the U.S. men to their third consecutive victory in Olympic pool play, a 3-1 decision over Bulgaria. The Americans had previously edged Venezuela (3-2) and then stopped Italy (3-1). Larsen provided a typically even-handed approach at a clearly emotional point in time.

“We would absolutely love to have Hugh back in our midst and back on the sidelines but he needs to take care of his family first,” Larsen told reporters shortly after the team’s first match in Beijing. “Our thoughts are clearly with Hugh and his family, first and foremost, but we also know that we invested four years—for some eight, 12 and even 16 years—in this opportunity.

“We came here with a goal in mind and we’ve invested this time in it. We’re going to try to complete what we’ve started.”

Larsen works with a volleyball player during
his tenure as coach of the UC San Diego men's volleyball team.

A graduate of BYU who had previous coaching stints at UC Berkeley, UC Davis and Rutgers-Newark, Larsen led UCSD to the Division III National Championship in his first year and was named MPSF Coach of the Year and the winner of UCSD’s Excellence in Coaching Award in 2004 (when his team counted Stanford, USC, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara among its victims). He is perhaps best known for his behind-the-scenes skills such as statistical analysis, game management and relentless pursuit of perfection in the practice gym. Nevertheless, current UCSD Women’s Volleyball Coach, Tom Black, who considers Larsen a mentor, feels he was the perfect man for these very visible circumstances.

“He’s certainly got the expertise,” said Black, “But aside from being one of the best coaches in the world, he’s also had to overcome a lot of hardships and challenges in his own life. He knows how to stay on task and push through adversity.”

And it’s that foundation that Ring believes will help get the U.S. men's volleyball team beyond a trying time. “Ron was certainly the most technical coach I’ve ever worked with,” said Ring, the Triton volleyball head coach. “Being with him in the gym every day and observing his method of teaching the skills of the game improved my coaching ability a great deal.

“He always emphasized the basics and regardless of the level of player, he believed you needed a strong fundamental base.”

And in a personal sense, those are traits that Larsen would appear to be subtly imparting to his team as it attempts to overcome sorrow and uncertainty to emerge victorious on its sport’s biggest stage.