Rutgers Names Gonzalez Head Women's Volleyball Coach
Dec 08 | Women's Volleyball
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ - Orlando Gonzalez, who has served as Rutgers University's interim head women's volleyball coach since August, has been named the Scarlet Knights' permanent head coach.
Gonzalez previously served as the Scarlet Knights' assistant coach since the spring of 2005, but was later named interim head coach following the resignation of former RU head coach Ann Leonard-House in August.
'When I was interviewed as an assistant, I knew Rutgers was a great fit for me,' said Gonzalez. 'As interim head coach, I was excited by the opportunity and responsibility, and now that I am the head coach, I am ecstatic to put my years of hard work and dedication to the game of volleyball into this great institution and the state of New Jersey. My enthusiasm is boundless and I look forward to leading the next chapter of Rutgers Volleyball.'
Gonzalez helped guide the Scarlet Knights to an 11-16 overall record and 6-8 mark in conference play this fall. His athletes were named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on several occasions, including junior outside hitter Lora Yankauskas (Paramus, NJ), who concluded the season by being named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team.
'We are very pleased to make Orlando a permanent part of our coaching staff at Rutgers,' said Rutgers Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Robert E. Mulcahy III. 'Even though he was asked to step in as the interim head coach just days before preseason practices began, he did an excellent job coaching the team this season. We look forward to the continued growth of the program under Orlando's energetic leadership.'
Gonzalez previously served as the regional training center head coach and assistant director for USA Michigan Volleyball, where he guided the Runbird Elite 18U and 17U club teams. In 1998 and 2003, his 18U team won the gold medal at the East Coast Championships, hosted by Penn State. In back-to-back seasons (2002, 2003), he coached the only statewide team to qualify for the USAV Junior National Tournament in the 18-and-under age group. Over the course of his 11 years involved with the elite club, Gonzalez trained and developed 45 athletes who went on to earn scholarships to Division I schools, and numerous others who played for Division II, III and NAIA programs.
On the collegiate level, Gonzalez served one year as an assistant coach at Northwood University in Midland, MI, where he was specifically responsible for drill instruction and defensive development. Prior to Northwood, Gonzalez was an assistant coach for two seasons at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, and was the head equipment manager/home match coordinator at Western Michigan University in 1993. He also had two stints as a head coach on the scholastic level, beginning the first varsity program at Dakota High School in Macomb, MI, and molding the team into a conference champion by its third year (1998). In 1995, he guided Marian High School in Birmingham, MI, to the district title, regional final and a top-five ranking in the state.
Gonzalez is a three-time speaker at the annual Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association (MIVCA) Coaches Clinic (1999, 2001, 2002), and was twice the keynote volleyball speaker at the MAHPERD Clinic (2000, 2001). He was a guest apprentice coach for the NEC Professional Team (Tokyo, Japan) in 2002.
Gonzalez earned his bachelor's degree in communications and advertising from Michigan State in 2003.
