AVCA National Coach of the Year can now be added to the resume of Rick McLaughlin.
The UC Santa Barbara coach was selected for the annual AVCA honor that was announced Wednesday.
McLaughlin led the Gauchos to the No. 3 ranking in both the national coaches poll and national media poll during the shortened college men’s volleyball season because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Gauchos finished the season 14-2, including eight wins against nationally ranked teams and sweeping 10 of those matches.
UC Santa Barbara defensively had a nation-best .178 opponent attack percentage and was second in the country with a 10.55 blocks per game average. In addition, the Gauchos were in the nation’s top five hitting .333.
This is the second coaching honor that McLaughlin earned this season. McLaughlin also was selected as the 2020 Big West Coach of the Year.