Cullen Irons of the UC Santa Barbara men’s volleyball program has been named the Division I-II Men’s National Assistant Coach of the Year, it was announced by the American Volleyball Coaches Associate (AVCA).
“This honor is well deserved,” said UCSB head coach Rick McLaughlin. “Both he and [fellow assistant coach and former teammate] Vince Devany work extremely hard at providing a great collegiate experience for each and every one of our student-athletes. I will always be very proud of them both, they’re great Gauchos.”
With Irons on the bench, UCSB had one of its best seasons in the rally scoring era in 2016, going 20-10 and defeating No. 5 Stanford on the road in the MPSF Tournament. It was just the second 20-win season for the program in the last quarter-century.
Since his hiring before the 2014 season, the Gauchos have consistently been among the top teams in the ultra-competitive MPSF conference, accruing a 45-29 record (.608 winning percentage) over that time.
Irons is intimately involved in all facets of the program, including recruiting, scouting and game planning, practice coordination, operations, and community service.
A former standout opposite for the Gauchos from 2008-11, he was a key piece of the 2011 team that won the MPSF Championship and came within inches of winning the NCAA Title against Ohio State.