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Carl McGown was everything from a scholar and innovator to a volleyball coach who proved he could win at any level.
The former BYU and U.S. Men’s National Team head coach passed away on Friday. Check out this timeline of just some the Hall of Famer’s major volleyball accomplishments throughout his life.
1963
McGown graduates from BYU with degree in physical education.
1964
McGown is selected as a USA Volleyball Collegiate All-American and leads BYU to a fifth-place finish at the Collegiate National Championships.
1964
McGown earns his master’s degree from BYU.
1964
McGown hired as athletics director at BYU-Hawai’i.
1968
McGown coaches Church College of Hawaii to a second-place finish at the USA Volleyball Collegiate National Championships.
September-October 1970
McGown serves as an assistant coach for the United States at the FIVB World Championship — his first of seven World Championships that he would serve as a U.S. coach.
1971
McGown earns his doctorate from the University of Oregon.
1972
McGown returns to BYU as faculty member after teaching the last five years at Oregon and Cal-Berkeley.
1973
McGown is named head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team
1973
United States wins the NORCECA Continental Championship for the first time in the nation’s history.
1974
United States under McGown goes 1-2 in 1974 FIVB World Championship to finish in 14th place.
1975
United States under McGown finishes in third place at NORCECA Continental Championship.
1976
McGown’s ends his four-year tenure as the head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team.
1980
McGown serves as a technical advisor for Team USA.
August 1984
McGown helps coach the United States to its first Olympic men’s volleyball gold medal in the nation’s history.
1985
McGown founds Gold Medal Squared. The volleyball organization would run camps and clinics for the next 31 years that would contribute to more than 450 high school coaches winning state championships.
October 1986
McGown as an assistant coach helps the United States win the FIVB World Championship for the first time in the nation’s history.
October 1988
McGown helps coach the United States to repeat as Olympic men’s volleyball gold medalists.
1990
McGown serves as head coach for BYU in its first season as a NCAA program after winning three USA Volleyball Collegiate Championships as a club team in the 1980s. The Cougars finish the season 5-22 — one of only three losing seasons for BYU under McGown.
May 1990
BYU under McGown ends the season leading the nation in attendance — including having a season-high 4,527 people in attendance for the program’s inaugural home match, which was a three-game loss to Pepperdine.
August 1992
McGown helps coach the United States to an Olympic men’s volleyball bronze medal.
April 1993
BYU under McGown finishes at 15-10 for its first winning season in program history.
January 1994
McGown’s book “Science of Coaching Volleyball” is published and released.
April 1994
BYU under McGown has its first 20-win season and advances to the MPSF Tournament finals before losing to Stanford.
May 1994
BYU for the third time in five seasons under McGown ends the season leading the nation in home attendance.
October 1994
McGown helps coach the United States to the bronze medal at the FIVB World Championship.
July 1996
McGown serves on the coaching staff for the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
April 12, 1997
BYU rallies from a one-game deficit to beat Pepperdine in five games for McGown’s 100th career victory as the team’s head coach.
April 1997
McGown coaches BYU to the program’s second 20-win season. The Cougars also went 13-2 at home that season.
April 1998
BYU under McGown finishes the season 11-0 at home — the program’s first time it went an entire season undefeated at home.
Feb. 19, 1999
With McGown on the sidelines, BYU sets a NCAA single-match record with 14,156 people in attendance to watch it defeat Hawai’ii in four games.
May 1999
BYU goes 28-1 to win the MPSF championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
May 8, 1999
McGown guides BYU to sweep Long Beach State in the NCAA Tournament finals as the Cougars finish the season 30-1 and win their first NCAA title in program history.
May 1999
McGown is named the 1999 AVCA National Coach of the Year — the first of two times he will win the award in his coaching career.
September 2000
McGown serves on the coaching staff for the U.S. Men’s National Team at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
November 2000
McGown’s book “Coaching Volleyball: Building a Winning Team” is published and released.
2000
McGown is named the recipient of the Tom Haine Memorial Award, which USA Volleyball annually presents to an all-time great indoor player or contributor.
Feb. 24, 2001
BYU under McGown sweeps UC Irvine to open the season on a 10-match winning streak.
April 2001
BYU earns a berth to the NCAA Tournament after going 21-4 overall and 14-3 in MPSF play.
May 5, 2001
BYU sweeps UCLA in the NCAA Tournament finals to win its second NCAA championship under McGown.
May 2001
McGown is named AVCA National Coach of the Year for the second time in his career.
March 28, 2002
BYU sweeps No. 5 UC Santa Barbara at home to give McGown is 200th career victory as BYU’s head coach.
April 25, 2002
McGown in his final match as the BYU head coach before retiring loses to Pepperdine in the MPSF Tournament semifinals. No. 3 BYU would narrowly miss an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament but finished McGown’s final season at 23-7, including a 16-3 home record.
August 2004
McGown as an assistant coach helps the United States advance to the bronze-medal match at the 2004 Olympics.
2004
McGown inducted into Utah Sports Hall of Fame
August 2008
McGown serving as a technical consultant helps the United States will its third Olympic gold medal in the nation’s history.
December 2010
McGown is inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame.
June 2011
McGown’s son, Chris McGown, is named the head coach of BYU men’s volleyball.
September 2011
McGown comes out of college coaching retirement to serve as a BYU volunteer assistant coach under his son.
October 2011
McGown is inducted into BYU Athletic Hall of Fame.
April 27, 2013
BYU with McGown as a volunteer assistant coach sweeps Long Beach State in the MPSF Tournament finals to win its first conference championship in almost a decade.
April 26, 2014
McGown as a volunteer assistant coach helps guide BYU to sweep Stanford in the MPSF Tournament finals to win its second consecutive conference title.
Feb. 28, 2015
With McGown on the coaching staff, BYU sweeps Ball State to win its 36 consecutive home match — a program record.
Dec. 30, 2016
McGown passes away at the age of 79.