Championship Defense

The Coach

Brian Gimmillaro

Head Coach of Women's Volleyball at Long Beach State

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"Regarded as one of the top volleyball minds in the country, Brian Gimmillaro will have administrative oversight of both the beach and indoor volleyball programs at Long Beach State. Honored in 2008 with induction into the AVCA Hall of Fame, Gimmillaro has led his Alma Mater to three NCAA Championships and eight Final Four appearances in women's volleyball and will help usher in a new era as the leader of an emerging sport in sand volleyball.

Long Beach State has a tremendous tradition of producing fine beach volleyball players that have found great success worldwide.

That list would certainly include Misty May-Treanor, arguably the greatest women's beach volleyball player in the world. May-Treanor is the all-time tournament wins leader in both professional and international competition, and with her partner, Kerri Walsh, they will be attempting to win a third straight Olympic Gold medal in London in 2012 after reaching the sport's pinnacle at both the Athens Olympics in 2004 and the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

May-Treanor's journey started at Long Beach State, whereas a two-time National Player of the Year, she led the 49ers to the first perfect record in NCAA history on the way to a National Championship in 1998, Gimmillaro's third title.

Many other players have starred in beach volleyball after working under Gimmillaro's tutelage as well. Jenn Snyder and Brittany Hochevar are both among the nation's top money winners in professional beach volleyball. Alicia (Mills) Polzin was a member of Gimmillaro's first NCAA championship team in 1989 and has competed in beach volleyball for over 20 years.

Gimmillaro has been consistently one of the best coaches in the indoor game as well. He ranks 14th in Division I history with 789 career wins, and ranks in the Top 10 among active coaches in both total wins and winning percentage at the Division I level.

Gimmillaro graduated from Long Beach State in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. Gimmillaro has two children, a son, Stefan, and daughter, Lauren."