Santa Barbara volleyball was well represented at the American Volleyball Coaches Association Convention and Hall of Fame ceremony during the NCAA Division 1 Women’s Final Four in Louisville, Ky.
UC Santa Barbara coaching legend Kathy Gregory was one of four illustrious coaches who made up the AVCA Hall of Fame induction class of 2024.
She was joined by Barry Goldberg, who coached 34 years at American University; Hugh McCutcheon, the only coach to guide both the U.S. men’s and women’s indoor volleyball teams to Olympic medals (gold for the men in 2008, and silver for the women in 2012) and guided the powerhouse University of Minnesota women’s program; and Joe Sagula, who made his mark across four-plus decades as the University of North Carolina and the University of Pennsylvania head women’s volleyball coach. His career record of 865-507 at those two stops places him in the top 20 of Division I coaches for all-time victories.
Gregory made her impact as a player and a coach. She started coaching at UCSB in 1975 and led the program from those early days of Title IX through the 2013 season, when she retired.
She transformed the Gauchos into a national contender. Her teams were regularly ranked in the AVCA polls and fixtures in NCAA postseason play, making 27 NCAA championships and three Elite Eight appearances. The 1993 AVCA Division I Coach of the Year recorded 882 career victories at UCSB and earned Big West Conference Coach of the Year honors seven times.
The AVCA induction is one of many Hall of Fame honors for Gregory. She’s also a member of the International Volleyball, U.S. Volleyball Association, California Beach Volleyball Association, Southern California Indoor Volleyball, Cal State L.A. Athletics and Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Halls of Fame.
“Kathy Gregory is an icon in our sport,” said Carpinteria native and BYU women’s volleyball coach Heather Olmstead. “She has dedicated her life to growing the game of women’s volleyball, and throughout her career, she has mentored hundreds of young women as well as many more current and former coaches. From the beaches of Santa Barbara to the gym of UCSB, her love for the game has been impossible to miss.”
Gregory was unable to attend the event in Louisville. Dillan Bennett, the volleyball coach at Bishop Diego and director of the Santa Barbara Volleyball Club, accepted the Hall of Fame hardware for Gregory. It was presented by Karch Kiraly (Santa Barbara High alum).
Kiraly coached the U.S. Women’s National Team to the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the bronze medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016. He won three Olympic gold medals as a player, two with the U.S. indoor team (1984 and 1988) and one in beach volleyball (1996).
Kiraly also presented Dan Fisher (Dos Pueblos alum), the head coach of the University of Pittsburgh women’s volleyball team, with the AVCA National Coach of the Year award. Fisher guided Pitt to its fourth straight NCAA Final Four appearance and a 33-2 record.
