Volleyball: A coach who has taken his opportunities

Hugh McCutcheon at the High Performance Sport New Zealand gym at Forsyth Barr Stadium yesterday....
Hugh McCutcheon at the High Performance Sport New Zealand gym at Forsyth Barr Stadium yesterday. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH
Hugh McCutcheon admits his life may seem somewhat surreal to many.

But he does not have time to think about it - he is too busy working each day and being the best dad he can be.

McCutcheon (46), recognised as one of the best volleyball coaches in the world, was in Dunedin yesterday as part of a Sport New Zealand and Volleyball New Zealand initiative to help coaches.

McCutcheon, a New Zealander, is the University of Minnesota women's volleyball coach. He coached the United States men's team to a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and the United States women's team to a silver medal at the London Olympics in 2012.

So coaching is in his blood, as is volleyball.

He was introduced to the game at high school in Christchurch and has been around the sport since.

He journeyed to the United States in the early 1990s to play college volleyball and is still there.

"Yeah, I suppose it is a bit surreal how it has all happened. But I don't spend a lot of time looking back. I'm just a great believer in that saying - the harder I work, the luckier I get,'' he said.

"I just got an opportunity and from that I got other opportunities and then things just started opening up.''

After a gold medal in Beijing and a silver medal in London, McCutcheon decided to settle down and get involved with a college side.

"I could have been the No1 dad or the No1 coach. The rigours of the international game where you can be away for weeks was not really conducive to having a young family.''

Married to Elisabeth with children Andrew (6) and Anika (4), McCutcheon made international headlines in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics when his in-laws were attacked and his father-in-law was killed.

McCutcheon said volleyball was a game which was very popular with females.

"It is a fast, dynamic sport. Females soon realise it is a sport where they can do well. Where they can excel. And in New Zealand it is popular. They were saying at the school national championships they had something like 172 teams playing. There are 1200 teams playing at a collegiate level [in the United States].

"There is no path after that, unfortunately. There is no pro league but playing in college [in the United States] was in some ways professional the way we are looked after.

"We have the best in training facilities, we have a chartered plane to go to places, we are a Nike school, so get all the best gear given to us.''

The women's college side, the Gophers, he coaches plays in front of crowds of 4500 and last season won its conference and finished third in the country with Nebraska winning.

McCutcheon said coaching was more about building a culture and developing players.

"It is simple but then complicated.''

McCutcheon said it was about understanding players had to come and train and play every day with the aim of getting better.

He said the method of having a vertically-integrated coaching system in which the coach decided everything no longer worked.

"The my way or the highway method doesn't work any more. It is more about connecting with the players. Taking the team along with you.''

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