Posted on: Thursday, April 12, 2001
'Temp' coach gives BYU volleyball stability
By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
Few realized in 1990 that a low-interest loan would reap such large rewards 11 years later.
But this year, Brigham Young University again has one of the premier men's volleyball programs in the country, in large part to head coach Carl McGown, who still is on "temporary assignment" from the school's physical education department.
Each year, the department issues a letter of appointment confirming that McGown, who holds a doctorate degree in education, remains in good standing with the faculty.
"But," he emphasized, despite being a full-time head coach since 1999, "I'm on loan at the athletic department."
From humble beginnings in 1990, his program now is second only to the University of Hawai'i's in attendance, averaging between 3,000 and 4,000 a match in the 6,000-seat Smith Field House. UH and BYU are the only profitable men's college volleyball programs.
"Hawai'i is way ahead of us, but we're way ahead of everybody else," McGown said.
It is fitting that UH and BYU, ranked 1-2 in the polls, will meet tomorrow and Saturday in Provo, Utah, with the top seed at stake in next week's Mountain Pacific Sports Federation playoffs.
"It's the biggest weekend in BYU volleyball history," McGown said.
Bigger, he said, than two years ago, when the teams played before an NCAA-record crowd of more than 17,000 in BYU's Marriott Center.
He said he had the option of moving this weekend's matches from Smith, but decided, "We wanted to keep it in a smaller arena so we can yell louder at the Warriors."
The crowds at Smith are regarded as the most vocal in the men's volleyball. UH coach Mike Wilton compared the volume to a jet during takeoff.
"It's an important popular activity on campus," McGown said.
McGown said the school targets students, who can purchase a $50 all-season pass to the school's Olympic sports events. BYU students also may purchase an individual ticket for $3 — $9 less than the top price for a ticket at a UH home match.
McGown estimated that students compose 80 percent of the home crowds.
"We want it to be an activity that students really love," McGown said. "At our matches, we make a lot of noise and we play a lot of modern music. The old folks are not so interested in a lot of noise and a lot of modern music. We try to cater to the youths."
In the two previous years, McGown said, more BYU students attended home volleyball matches than men's basketball games.
"We still have to get the old people to come out, but we want to make sure we're very popular on campus," he said.
McGown said the Cougars earn enough to pay salaries, the maximum 4.5 scholarships allowed by the NCAA and travel expenses to California and Hawai'i. BYU and UH played four exhibition matches last fall in Hawai'i.
At 63, McGown said he does not know how much longer he wants to coach. Wilton is believed to be the favorite to become his successor, and McGown said he offered Wilton a job as an assistant two years ago.
"Then he decided to stay at the university," McGown said. "I'm sure, I would expect, that he would be interested in applying for this job (when it is vacated)."
For now, when asked when he will retire, McGown will say, "I wish I knew the answer to that question. When you're old, you think about it a lot. No answer has ever come. I don't really ever know. In many respects, I love coaching. There are a lot of things about coaching not to love. But right now, I'm having fun."
