Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO — BYU men’s volleyball team finished the 2015 season at 17-10, losing in five sets to fourth-seeded USC in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament in April.
But the Cougars were set to return all but three players from their lineup as they built around a core young group.
Now they will be searching for a new head coach as well.
Third-year head coach Chris McGown announced his sudden resignation from BYU on Tuesday, citing the need to spend more time with his family and seek other business opportunities.
“The principal driving force behind my decision to step away was my two daughters,” McGown said in a statement. “I want to make sure the two of them are getting the best I have, and I struggled to give them that with the demands of being the head coach.”
McGown accumulated an 88-31 record as the head coach of BYU between 2012-15, including two MPSF titles and a trip to the NCAA Tournament semifinals and No. 3 national ranking in 2014, and an NCAA championship game appearance in 2013 that followed AVCA and MPSF Coach of the Year honors.
McGown’s .739 winning percentage ranks second all-time in BYU men’s volleyball history, and his 88 career victories is the third-most for a BYU head coach. The son of AVCA and BYU Hall of Fame coach Carl McGown, who served as a part-time assistant coach during his son’s tenure, said he will miss the frequent interactions with his coaches and athletes.
“I’ve felt so much support from our staff, from our administration, and of course, our amazing fans,” Chris McGown said in a statement. “Most of all, I’ll miss the association with our athletes — they are young men of talent, commitment and character. It’s been an honor to go to work with them every day.”
BYU will initiate its search for a new men’s volleyball head coach immediately.
