FROM OCMETRO.COM
John Speraw
Master Motivator
Head coach of the UCI men’s volleyball team
AGE: 35
RESIDENCE: Irvine
FAMILY: Single
How did John Speraw, head coach of the UCI men’s volleyball team, become only the 2nd person in sports history to win a national volleyball championship as a player, assistant coach and head coach? Talk with Speraw for only a few minutes, and the answer is obvious: his focused determination, stellar leadership skills and technical mastery of the sport.
Thanks to Speraw, UCI’s meteoric rise to national attention was capped with the 2007 NCAA Championship. “One of my proudest moments was watching our guys dog-pile on the court after they won the title,” says Speraw. “We came close the previous year, so this year’s championship was really gratifying.”
Speraw was voted the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year after taking a 9-20 team and transforming it into a team that went 27-5 in 2005-06 – the biggest turnaround in NCAA history. “The most important thing for me,” says Speraw, “is about constantly communicating to our players about positive values and about who we are and what we can do as a cohesive group. The key is to develop players who accept these values.”
Success is nothing new to Speraw. Along with his impressive NCAA track record – as a middle-blocker at UCLA, the Bruins won national championships in 1993 and 1995 – the 6-foot 5-inch Speraw is working as an assistant coach of the U.S. men’s volleyball team and will travel to Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games.
While at UCLA, he says, “I got a degree in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics while playing volleyball and working full time.” Incredible...
Speraw’s focus, dedication and a can-do attitude – traits found in successful businesspeople – can pay off for his athletes in a big way. “Our guys learn about leadership through volleyball,” he says. “And there’s definitely a great carryover from athletics to the business world. They learn so many lessons that lead to success.”
—LARRY URISH
