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A former All-American who helped lead Pepperdine to the program’s last NCAA championship is returning to his alma mater.
Pepperdine announced recently that it hired Andy Hein to be an assistant coach for the upcoming season.
“I’m extremely excited to return to Pepperdine University as a coach of such a high-level program,” Hein said in a statement. “Pepperdine has always held an important place in my heart ever since I stepped on this campus. I’m humbled and honored to have been chosen to be a part of this incredible coaching staff
Hein joins the coaching staff of first-year head coach David Hunt after spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Cal Baptist. The Lancers with Hein on their sidelines ended last season No. 3 in the Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Division II National Coaches Poll, but the school opted to disband the men’s volleyball program during the off-season.
Along with his coaching experience, Hunt was a two-time All-American and helped Pepperdine win the 2005 NCAA championship. The middle attacker also continues to hold the school record with a .483 career hitting percentage and is third all-time in Pepperdine history with 533 career blocks.
Hein after graduating from Pepperdine in 2016 had a nine-year professional volleyball career in Europe and competed with the U.S. Men’s National Team until 2013. Among the international tournament Hein participated in with the United States included the FIVB World Championship and the Pan American Games.
“We are excited to have Andy back in Malibu,” Hunt said in a statement. “In Andy, we have someone who is of the highest caliber and represents what Pepperdine is all about. He has played at the highest levels of our sport and will add a tremendous amount to our program both on and off the court.”
The 2018 season will be the first year for Pepperdine following the retirement of Hall of Fame coach Marv Dunphy.
The Waves advanced to the MPSF Tournament quarterfinals last season and finished at No. 8 in both the national coaches poll and national media poll.
Pepperdine returns multiple starters for the upcoming season, including all-conference outside attacker David Wieczorek.