Alan Knipe

Last updated

Alan Knipe
Current position
Title Head Coach
Team Long Beach State
Conference Big West
Record445–170 (.724)
Biographical details
Born (1969-01-01) January 1, 1969 (age 56)
Huntington Beach, California
Playing career
1989 Orange Coast College
1990–1992 Long Beach State
Position(s)Middle Blocker
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1994–1995 Golden West College
1996–2000 Long Beach State (Asst.)
2001–2009Long Beach State
2013–presentLong Beach State
National team
2009–2012 United States
Head coaching record
Overall474–185 (.719)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
As Coach:
  • 3x NCAA Men's Volleyball Champion (2018, 2019, 2025)
  • 6x Big West regular season (2018, 2019, 2022, 2023*, 2024, 2025)
  • 2x Big West Conference Tournament (2018, 2024)
  • 3x MPSF regular season (2001, 2008, 2017)
  • MPSF Conference Tournament (2017)
  • California State Community College Champion (1995)
  • * Co-Champion
As Player:
  • NCAA Men's Volleyball Champion (1991)
Awards
As Coach:
  • 3× AVCA Coach of the Year (2004, 2017, 2018)
  • 3× Big West Coach of the Year (2018, 2019, 2024)
  • 2x MPSF Coach of the Year (2008, 2017)
As Player:
  • First-Team All-American (1992)
  • Second-Team All-American (1991)
Medal record
Head coach for men's volleyball
Representing Flag of the United States.svg United States
FIVB World League
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2012 Sofia
Pan American Cup
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2008 Winnipeg
NORCECA Championship
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2011 Puerto Rico
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2009 Puerto Rico

Alan Knipe (born January 1, 1969) is the head coach of the Long Beach State men's volleyball team. As a player at CSULB, he helped the team reach back-to-back NCAA Men's Volleyball Championships in 1990 and 1991, winning the Championship in 1991. As a head coach, he has guided them to ten NCAA Semifinal appearances (2004, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025) and three National Championships (2018, 2019, 2025). As a player, assistant coach and head coach, Knipe has helped the Long Beach State team to 12 of the program's 14 NCAA Semifinal appearances.

Contents

Playing career

Knipe played on the Long Beach State men's volleyball team from 1990 to 1992. In 1991, he was named to the All-American second team and helped The Beach win the NCAA Championship. [1] In 1992, he was named to the All-America first team. [1]

Knipe then played for the U.S. national team in 1992 and 1993. Knipe played professionally in Italy and Belgium. He also played on the Bud Light 4-Man Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. [1]

Coaching career

College

Knipe was the men's head volleyball coach at Golden West College in 1994 and 1995. In 1995, along with Co-Head Coach and former CSULB teammate Patrick Sullivan, led the team to the California State JC championship. The championship was the first in school history for the men's team. [1] His win-loss record at GWC was 28–14 (.667).

Knipe then became an assistant coach at Long Beach State in 1996. He was named the Head Coach in 2000. In 2004, he led the team to a 28-7 record and into the NCAA final. [1] He was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year. [1]

In 2008, he led the team to the NCAA Tournament semifinals and was named MPSF Coach of the Year and Volleyball Magazine Coach of the Year. Following the 2009 season, Knipe took three seasons off to coach the United States Men's National Volleyball team. Knipe lead Long Beach State to four straight NCAA Final Four appearances from 2016 to 2019. Winning the NCAA Championship in 2018 and 2019, the first back-to-back National Championships at Long Beach State. Knipe was named AVCA Coach of the year in 2017 and 2018. He was also named conference coach of the year in 2017, 2018, and 2019. He has helped develop 6 National Player of the Year, starting with Paul Lotman (2008), Taylor Crabb (2013), Josh Tuaniga (2017), TJ DeFalco (2017, 2019) and Aleksander Nikolov (2022). [1]

International

Knipe became the Head Coach of the U.S. Men's National Team in 2009. Leading the team to the Silver Medal at the 2009 and 2011 at the NORCECA Championships as well as the 2012 FIVB World League. Knipe coached Team USA to the World League Finals in 2009, 2011, and 2012. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, the U.S. finished tied for fifth, winning their pool and finishing with a 4-2 record. [2]

Personal life

Knipe graduated from Marina High School in 1987 and from Long Beach State in 1992. [1] He lives in Huntington Beach, California, with his wife and two sons, Evan and Aidan. [2]

Head coaching record

NCAA

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Long Beach State Beach (Mountain Pacific Sports Federation)(2001–2009)
2001Long Beach State 18–712–51st
2002Long Beach State 13–189–137th
2003Long Beach State 17–1311–118th
2004Long Beach State 28–718–42nd NCAA Runner-up
2005Long Beach State 22–1014–85th
2006Long Beach State 22–1014–84th
2007Long Beach State 11–176–1610th
2008Long Beach State 23–718–41st NCAA Semifinals
2009Long Beach State 14–1411–117th
Long Beach State Beach (Mountain Pacific Sports Federation)(2013–2017)
2013Long Beach State 24–818–6T–2nd
2014Long Beach State 18–1015–9T–4th
2015Long Beach State 15–1311–117th
2016Long Beach State 25–817–5T–2nd NCAA Semifinals
2017Long Beach State 24–716–21st NCAA Semifinals
Long Beach State Beach (Big West Conference)(2018–present)
2018Long Beach State 28–19–11st NCAA Champion
2019Long Beach State 28–210–01st NCAA Champion
2020Long Beach State 10–1N/A [n 1] N/A [n 1] Abbreviated season due to COVID-19 [n 1]
2021Long Beach State 7–56–43rd
2022 Long Beach State 21-68-21st NCAA Runner-up
2023 Long Beach State 21-59-1T-1st NCAA Semifinals
2024 Long Beach State 27-39-11st NCAA Runner-up
2025 Long Beach State 27-38-21st NCAA Champion
Total:446–171 (.723)249–124 (.668)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

  1. 1 2 3 Season not played past March 6 due to COVID-19 pandemic

Junior college

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Golden West Rustlers (1994–1995)
1994Golden West 10–99–8
1995Golden West 18–512–5
Golden West:28–14 (.667)21–13 (.618)
Total:28–14 (.667)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Alan Knipe". longbeachstate.com. California State University, Long Beach. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Alan Knipe". Team USA. United States Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on April 10, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
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