Alan Knipe, le nouveau coach des champions olympiques en titre (USA): article en anglais.

Luxembourg/Belfast, April 3, 2009. USA Volleyball announced yesterday that Alan Knipe will be the new U.S. Men’s national team head coach for the 2009-2012 Olympic quadrennial. The 40-year-old Knipe will take a leave of absence from his head coach position at Long Beach State, where he has been in the position for the past nine years. Two of Knipe’s former players – David Lee and Scott Touzinsky – were members of the U.S. Men’s Olympic Volleyball team that won the gold medal in 2008 in Beijing. Knipe was an assistant coach when U.S. captain Tom Hoff played at Long Beach State.In his nine seasons as the head coach of the Long Beach State 49ers, with numerous successes Stateside, Knipe coached the USA Men's National Team at the 2008 Pan America Cup in Winnipeg, Canada, and helped lead them to a gold medal. In 2008, with 23 wins, his 49ers finished tied for first place in one of toughest men's volleyball conferences in USA - the fourth time in the past five seasons that the 49ers have hit the 20-win plateau. Knipe has also been the head coach and director of the USA Volleyball Development Camp since 1999. Three former 49ers, Touzinsky, Lee and Tom Hoff, clinched the gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2007 Knipe served as the head coach for the United States squad which competed at the World University Games in Bangkok and won the bronze medal losing just one match along the way, in the semi-finals to eventual gold medalist Turkey. After leaving Long Beach State as a player, Knipe played for the United States National Team in 1992 and 1993 and won seven USVBA National Open Championships with Team Paul Mitchell. In 1993, he was named USA Player of the Year. In 1995, Knipe played for Spoleto in the Italian Pro League and in 1996 he played for the Zellik club in Belgium. The Irish connection Born in California, Alan graduated from Huntington Beach's Marina High School in 1987. Knipe spent one year at Orange Coast College before transferring to Long Beach State. His family comes from Dundonald in Northern Ireland and at the end of his playing career on visiting his Irish roots he quickly adopted the NIVA and remains an Honorary Consultant Coach and has hosted several players’ visits to Long Beach. Indeed he transferred to Northern Ireland at the turn of the century to be registered player/coach for the Ulstermen in the CEV Small Countries Division Championships in Andorra.NIVA President Paddy Murphy gladly comments: “As President of the NIVA I am delighted at the honor Alan has had bestowed on him with this appointment and I hope a little luck of the Irish helps him through the campaigns to come with the US squad”.