HEAD COACH AL GIVENS 15th Season The 2007 season will mark the 15th year for Al Givens as head coach at. It will also be the 31st year of volleyball coaching for Givens, with 30 of those years as a head coach, including 23 years as a head coach at the Division I level. His career includes coaching volleyball at the high school, junior college, and Division I levels. Givens Profile Born: February 3, 1951 Hometown: Brawley, Calif. Wife: Flossie Children: Stephanie (32), Cori (29), Matt (14) Bachelor s Degree: William Jennings Bryan 75 Master s Degree: Northern Arizona 83 Coaching Experience 1993-present 1986-1992 Mississippi 1985 Assistant Coach 1985 Arizona Western College 198983 Givens has compiled a Division I head coach career record of 308-394 in 22 years of coaching. Before coming to he was head coach at Mississippi and. His career record at is 156-257 overall and 827 in Big Sky Conference games during his 14 seasons with the Wildcats. The 81 wins in the Big Sky play is the second most Big Sky wins among active coaches and the fourth most wins all-time in conference history. In 2006 Givens led to the Big Sky Tournament for the second straight season. It also marked the sixth time the Cats have qualified for the tournament under Givens. WSU finished strong, winning their final five regular season matches, including the final four Big Sky Conference matches to qualify for the conference tournament. For his efforts Givens was named the Big Sky Co-Coach of the Year for the first time in his career. During the 2006 season Givens also won his 300th career victory, a home win over Utah Valley State on August 29 that also marked the first match in the newly remodeled Swenson Gym. Givens started his volleyball coaching career at Kofa High School in Yuma, Arizona, where he compiled a 65-35 record in five seasons and led the Kings to the divisional playoffs each year. His 1979 and 1980 teams won conference titles, and the 1979 team went on to finish second at the divisional playoffs and fifth at the State tournament. Over the past 28 years, Givens has coached at the high school, Club volleyball, Community College, and NCAA Division One levels, and has been an Assistant Coach for the USA Olympic Festival on two separate occasions. Givens was also the coach for the Intermountain Region USA High Performance 18 and Under Junior Team. The team took the silver in the Global Challenge held in July 2005 in Salt Lake City.
HEAD COACH AL GIVENS In 1981 Givens also began coaching at Arizona Western College in Yuma. He posted a 37-40 record during his three-year tenure at the junior college, turning around a program that went 2 the year before his arrival. Givens left Arizona Western in 1984 to take the assistant job at the University of Mississippi. As an assistant coach he helped the Rebels to a 23 record and in 1985 was named head coach at the school. In his one year as head coach at Ole Miss he led the team to a 29-15 record and a third place finish at the Southeast Conference Tournament. In 1986 he was named head coach at University in College Station, Texas. In his first season he guided the Aggies to a 23-14 record, a second place showing in the Southwest Conference and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Givens was head coach at for seven seasons and compiled a record of 123-122. His teams never finished lower than fourth place in the Southwest Conference and the Aggies advanced to post-season play twice. Al Givens Coaching Highlights 2006 Big Sky Co-Coach of the Year Six Big Sky Tournament Appearances leader in career coaching wins (308) Fourth most Big Sky wins in conference history Career Big Sky record 827 Accomplishments 84 Big Sky Academic All-Conference members 14 Big Sky All-Conference performers 6 Big Sky Tournament Appearances In 1993 Givens became the ninth head volleyball coach at University. While at Givens has led the Wildcats to 156 wins, the most of any coach in school history. He has also led WSU to 81 Big Sky victories, the fourth most in conference history. While at, the Wildcats have earned Big Sky All-Conference honors 14 times, including three athletes appearing on the First Team. In addition, under Givens the Wildcats have had 84 Big Sky Academic All-Conference honors. In 2005 Givens led the Wildcats to their first appearance in the BigSky Tournament in three seasons. The team also won 11 matches that season and finished in a tie for fifth in the conference standings. The 2002 season was a highlight at. The Wildcats finished with a 23 overall record, the best record for Givens at. WSU was also 9-5 in the Big Sky and advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament. Al Givens was born in Brawley, California on February 3, 1951. He received his Bachelor's degree in 1974 from Williams Jennings Bryan University in Dayton, Tennessee. While working on his degree in Business Administration, Givens played baseball and soccer. In 1983 he received his Master's degree in Education from Northern Arizona University.
Givens is married to the former Flossie McNally. The two of them met on opposite sides of the net while coaching volleyball at rival high schools in Arizona. Flossie Givens played college volleyball at Cal Poly University in San Luis Obispo, California. She currently coaches at Orion Junior High School in Harrisville, Utah. Givens has two daughters, Stephanie and Cori, and he and Flossie have a 14 year-old son Matt. Al has one five-year-old grandson, Drew, and in August 2005 he was presented with three grandchildren born on the same day! Cori had twins, Caleb and Christopher, and Stephanie had Rebecca, all on August 9, 2005!!! Athletic Director Jerry Graybeal (left) congratulates Al Givens for his 300th career coaching win last August. GIVENS HEAD COACHING YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD Year 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Totals School Mississippi at 22 years 29-15 23-14 15-22 18-15 19 18-19 18-16 19-17 19 16 15-14 6-25 17 13-17 14-13 17 13-16 23 7-21 4-26 19 9-24 156-257 308-394 Pct..660.622.405.545.387.486.529.527.345.429.517.194.414.433.512.370.448.606.250.133.367.375.378.439 Conf. 2-4 7-3 4-6 6-4 3-7 3-7 5-5 3-7 7-7 7-7 4-10 5-11 4-12 8-8 7-9 6-10 9-5 9-5 3-11 2 5-9 5-11 827 114-170 Pct..333.700.400.600.300.300.300.286.313.250.438.375.643.643.214.143.357.313.389.401 Finish SEC - t5th Southwest - 2nd Southwest - 4th Southwest - t2nd Southwest - t4th Southwest - t4th Southwest - 4th Southwest - t4th Big Sky - t5th Big Sky - t3rd Big Sky - 7th Big Sky - 8th Big Sky - t8th Big Sky - 6th Big Sky - t6th Big Sky - 7th Big Sky - t3rd Big Sky - 4th Big Sky - t6th Big Sky - 8th Big Sky - t5th Big Sky - t6th Postseason NCAA t17th NIVC t5th
AL GIVENS AGAINST ALL OPPONENTS Air Force Alabama-Birmingham Alaska-Fairbanks Albertson College Arizona Arizona State Arkansas State Ball State Baylor Binghamton Boise State Boston College Bowling Green Bradley Brigham Young California Cal Poly Cal State Fullerton Cal State Northridge College of Charleston Colorado State Denver DePaul Duke East Tennessee Eastern Illinois Eastern Kentucky Eastern Washington Florida Florida State Fordham Fresno State Georgia Georgia State Georiga Southern Gonzaga Grambling State Hartford Hawaii Hofstra Houston Idaho Idaho State Illinois Illinois-Chicago Illinois State Indiana Iowa Iowa State IPFW Jacksonville State Kansas Kansas State Kentucky Lamar Long Beach State Long Island Louisiana State Louisville Loyola (Illinois) Maryland Memphis Mesa State Miami (Ohio) Minnesota Mississippi Mississippi State Missouri Missouri-KC Montana Montana State Montevallo Morgan State Nebraska Nevada New Mexico New Mexico State New Orleans at Miss. at A&M ---- ---------------- -------------------- ---- ------------------------ ---- -------- -------- ------------------------------------ ---- -------------------------------- ------------ ------------ ---------------- ---------------- -------------------- ---- -------- --------13-3 ------------ 1-3 ------------ -------------------- ---- -------------------- 3-11 ---- ---- -------- ---- 8-0 ----2-8 -------- ---- ---- ------------ at WSU ---- ---- 6-7 ----8 ---- 2-8 ---- ---- ----8-23 -------- ---- 3-4 --------1-6 14-14 ---------------- ---- ---------------- ---------------- 14-14 18 ---- ---- ----- 3-1 14-3 6-7 1 1-5 2-8 0-4 9-24 1-4 3-4 3-11 2-7 15-15 1-4 9-2 1 15-13 18 0-4 at Miss. North Carolina ----North Carolina State ----North Dakota State ----North Florida ----North Texas ----Northern Arizona ----Northern Colorado ----Northern Iowa ----Northeast Louisiana Northwestern ----Northwestern State ----Notre Dame ----Ohio State ----Oklahoma ----Oral Roberts ----Oregon ----Oregon State ----Pepperdine ----Penn State ----Pittsburgh ----Providence ----Portland ----Portland State ----Purdue ----Rice ----Rhode Island ----Sacramento State ----St. Francis ----St. Mary's ----Sam Houston State ----San Diego ----San Diego State San Francisco ----San Jose State ----Santa Clara ----South Dakota State ----South Florida ----Southeast Missouri State ----Southwest Louisiana Southwest Missouri State ----Southern Southern Illinois Southern Methodist ----Southern Mississippi Stanford ----Stephen F. Austin ----Syracuse ----Tampa Tennessee Tennessee State ----Tennessee Tech ----Texas -----Corpus Christi ----Texas-Arlington ----Texas-San Antonio ----Texas State ----Texas Tech ----Tulane ----UCLA ----UNC Greensboro ----UNLV UC Riverside ----UC Santa Barbara ----US International ----Utah ----Utah State ----Utah Valley ----UTEP Virginia Commonwealth ----Virginia Tech Washington State ---- ----Wisconsin ----Wright State ----Wyoming ----- at A&M -------- ------------ ---- -------- 10-4 --------8-3 ---- ---- -------- ---- ------------ ---- --------4 ----3-6 5-3 5-9 ---- ------------ -------- -------- at WSU -------- ---- 17 -------- ------------ -------- ---- 13-9 --------3-19 ---- ---- ---------------- -------- ---- ---- ---- ----3-13 7-11 3-2 ---- ---- ----2-4 0-0 17 13-9 1-3 10-4 5-19 9-4 5 3-6 5-0 7-4 5-10 4-13 7-11 3-2 0-4 2-5 2007 Opponents in bold CAPS
MELISSA LEONARD Assistant Coach Seventh Season Melissa Leonard begins her seventh season as assistant coach with the volleyball program. In her position as the number one assistant, Leonard's primary duties are in recruiting and assisting with team training. She is also heavily involved in teaching and coaching in summer camps. Leonard Profile Born: November 19, 1976 Place: St. Anthony, Idaho Alma Mater: 99 Master s: Utah State 02 Dream vacation: Australia or Tahiti or Fiji Craziest ambition: Bungee jumping -- I'm terrified of heights. I would most like to have dinner with: my famiily In 20 years I plan to be: single and looking to mingle. Favorite food: Steak and potatoes and desert of any kind, especially ice cream. Favorite movie: Legends of the Fall Favorite TV show: Desperate Housewives Favorite sports team: Denver Broncos The CD I'm listening to right now: Stadium Arcadium from Red Hot Chili Peppers Before each match I like to: Shower and play crossword games. When I'm not coaching I'm most likely: Laying by the pool or reading. One thing most people don't know about me: I would love to go to beauty school. Leonard is a former standout player at and was a fouryear starter for the Wildcats from 1995 to 1998. She was a two-time All-Big Sky Second Team selection, a four-time Big Sky Academic All-Conference selection, and was selected as the team captain and MVP in 1997 and 1998. Leonard is the record holder for most digs in a single match with 30 against Montana in 1998. She also holds the school record for most attacks in a match with 92 at Montana in 1997. She ranks fifth all-time in career kills (1,246) and career kill attempts (3,584), and also ranks fifth all-time in career digs (1,034). Her 499 kills in 1997 is the fifth best all-time for kills in a single season and her total of 465 in 1997 is sixth all-time. She is third in single-season attempts with 1,368 in 1997, and fifth in digs with 383 in 1998. She has the third best singleseason kills average at 4.54 kills per game in 1997. Melissa was born November 19, 1976 in St. Anthony, Idaho. She attended Preston High School in Preston, Idaho, graduating in 1995. While playing for the Wildcats she received her Bachelor's degree in Physical Education from in 1999. She was an assistant coach for one season at before taking time off to pursue a Master's degree in Education at Utah State. She rejoined the Wildcat team as an assistant coach in 2002, after graduating from Utah State. Leonard was a two-time Weber State team MVP and ranks in the career top 10 in four categories.
STEPHANIE BIRCH Assistant Coach Fourth Season This year Stephanie Birch begins her fourth season as assistant coach at. She serves in the Administrative Assistant position with her main focus on team travel, home game management, and scouting. Birch Profile Born: February 1, 1982 Place: Pocatello, Idaho Alma Mater: 04 Dream vacation: Travel all over Europe I would most like to have dinner with: My family In 20 years I plan to be: Chasing my kids around Favorite food: Lasagna Favorite movie: National Treasure Favorite TV show: The OC Favorite sports teams: Miami Heat The CD I m listening to right now: Nickelback My best volleyball memory: Beating Utah Before each match I like to: Relax When I m not coaching volleyball I m most likely: Crafting One thing that most people don t know about me: I have a big family One word that best describes me: Competitive Favorite Al Givens quote: "You have two choices you can either be the hero or the goat, but it is up to you." Birch was a four-year starter for the Wildcats from 2000-03. She was named to the All-Big Sky Conference First Team in 2002 and the second team in 2003. She was also selected as the Team MVP both years. Birch also earned Big Sky Conference All-Academic all four years of her career. She ranks second all-time in career kills at totaling 1,365. She also is second in attempts with 3,803, which is eighth in Big Sky Conference history. She ranks fourth all-time in career digs at Weber State with 1,059. In 2002 she recorded the fourth most attempts and fourth most kills in single-season history. Birch was born February 1, 1982 in Pocatello, Idaho. She attended Bear Lake High School in Montpelier, Idaho and graduated in 2000. She earned a Bachelor's degree from in 2004 in Early Childhood Development. The former Stephanie Kropushek, she was married to Jesse Birch in 2003. Their first child, Brynlee, was born in December 2006. Birch was a four-year starter at, a two-time Team MVP, and a four-time Big Sky All-Academic Team selection.