With Andy Read being named interim head coach at Long Beach State, we figured we’d bring you the story straight from the AD/Coach’s mouth…
LBPostSports: How did you come to the decision to choose Read?
Athletics Director Vic Cegles: It’s important to remember how unique this whole situation is. You don’t see a coach leave a successful program for three years… but we had to keep the continuity of the program. Myself, Mark Edrington, Cindy Masner, Alan (Knipe) and Andy all met and it was just the right fit… (Andy) was a head coach at a big school, and he knows the kids that know Alan. It’s a great fit.
LBPS: Andy, was this a hard decision to make?
Andy Read: I’ve known for a long time that the only way I would be a head coach again was if it was the perfect situation, and this is the perfect situation.
LBPS: You’re also a high school teacher in the Huntington Beach School District and will continue to work there, correct?
Read: Yes, as a teacher you are allowed a two-year sabbatical where you won’t loose your standing… but, I’ve been in the district for 24 years, so there was no way I could just do the three-year job and leave my teaching job…
LBPS: So what is that, 150-hour weeks?
Read: (laugh) Yeah, that’s nothing new. I’m not saying there won’t be times I’ll want to pull my hair out (specifically in traffic) but we’ve moved afternoon practice a little later, and that gives the guys time to get academics and lifting done before we get in the gym, and the guys like that… but none of this is possible without the assistant coaches (John Crutchfield, John Hawks). It’s going to be more delegation and responsibility, but I trust them implicitly.
LBPS: Vic, how do you think this situation will hurt recruiting?
Cegles: I can’t imagine how this could be seen as a negative. All of these (volleyball players) are trying to make the Olympics, and here is a program that will have the former USA National Team head coach in three years… With Andy there, and those relationships in tact, this was the smart choice to keep it in house… for the ones on scholarship already; we didn’t want them to feel like they got cheated.
LBPS: Andy, pertaining to recruiting, your responsibility changes now, right?
Read: It’s always a group effort. John does such a great job keeping an eye on all of kids we need to be watching, and then when he brings them on campus, the head coach is there to close the deal… being able to not micro-manage is key. That’s why we’re surrounded by such good people, I can do one thing and then say, ‘what’s next?’
LBPS: So coach, what is next?
Read: Well, we’re bringing back most of the team from last year, six of the seven starters from our playoff game…we didn’t close out some games we thought we should have, and that’s on us to fix that. We’re ready to get out there and play and win the whole thing.
Long Beach State is still looking for an assistant coach to fill Read’s shoes, so make sure you come back to LBPostSports.com for all your LBSU Volleyball News!