University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Names Joel McCartney Head Volleyball Coach
December 22, 2006 | Volleyball
ATHENS, Ga. --- Winthrop's Joel McCartney has been named the new head coach of the University of Georgia women's volleyball program, according to an announcement Friday by UGA Director of Athletics Damon Evans.
McCartney, the fifth head coach at Georgia since the program's inception in 1978, arrives in Athens with a record of 167-49 in six years as Winthrop's head coach, including a 34-3 campaign in 2006, making him one of the nation's winningest active collegiate coaches. Not only did Winthrop advance to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth year in a row in 2006, but McCartney also led the Eagles to their fifth straight Big South Conference championship.
"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to direct the Bulldog volleyball program and look forward to the challenges in bringing Georgia up to the level of success the program deserves," said McCartney. " I want to thank Damon Evans for allowing me to fulfill a career goal in becoming the head coach here and I applaud his vision of distinction and leadership for the entire Georgia Athletic Association. I have an immense appreciation for Craig White and the search committee for pursuing my leadership and for having the confidence in me to direct this program into the next era."
"We are pleased and excited to have Joel as our volleyball coach," Evans said. "He understands what it takes to succeed academically as well as athletically. The knowledge and experience he brings will be invaluable as we set out to become a highly competitive volleyball program."
McCartney added that he already has a vision for the Bulldog volleyball program in the future.
"I am eager to get to Athens and begin the journey and I look forward to meeting all those involved in our program," McCartney said. "Volleyball in the Southeastern Conference has been extremely successful the past few years and I look forward to joining a team of colleagues for whom I already have such great respect."
Boasting a winning percentage of .773 while at Winthrop, McCartney also has head coaching experience on his resume at Bellevue University (Bellevue, Neb.). He accumulated an overall record of 115-51 (.693) from 1996-99, which gives him an overall head coaching record of 282-100 (.738) over 10 years.
In addition, McCartney has been an assistant coach at Eastern Kentucky University (1991-93), Indiana State University (1993-95) and University of Oklahoma (2000).
With 21 years of helping out with the USA National Development and Collegiate Volleyball Camp, McCartney has a wide range of volleyball experience. He earned All-American honors both academically and on the Graceland College (Lamoni, Iowa) club team while earning a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Economics and Finance from 1983-87. McCartney later earned a Master's degree in Sport Administration from Eastern Kentucky University in 1992.
McCartney, a native of Papillion, Neb., is married to the former Andrea Viviano and they have two children: Kate, 2, and James, 1.
Georgia completed its 2006 season with a 6-25 overall record and 2-18 SEC record. One of the Bulldogs' losses in 2006 was to McCartney's Winthrop squad in Athens on Nov. 24. The Eagles beat Georgia 3-0 (30-26, 30-15, 31-29) in the Bulldogs' final match of the season.
Additional quotes from Georgia's new head volleyball coach Joel McCartney:
On his experience during six years of coaching Winthrop University:
"I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to lead the Winthrop University program for the past six years and I am very proud of what the team accomplished during that time. It will be difficult to leave behind the Eagle family that we have invested so much of our lives to, but I am certain it is the right time to make this move and Georgia is a perfect fit for our family."
On his plans for Georgia's volleyball program in the coming years:
"One of my initial goals in this transition is to get in touch with former Bulldog athletes and create a relationship with those who dedicated themselves to building the foundation of this program. I am confident Georgia is going to enjoy great successes in the years to come and I want to make certain everyone has an opportunity to be involved with our future.
Quote from Tom Hickman, Winthrop University's Director of Athletics:
“Coach McCartney has certainly done a great job during his time at Winthrop University. He has put our volleyball program on the map both regionally and nationally and is well-respected throughout the volleyball coaching community for his knowledge of the game. Joel and his wife, Andrea, have been a vital part of our successful athletics program here at Winthrop over these past six years. We certainly hate to see them leave Rock Hill, but we wish the very best of luck to them as they begin this new chapter in their lives and as Joel takes on new challenges.”