Long Beach State head coach Alan Knipe and assistant coach Tyler Hildebrand have been named National Coach and Assistant Coach of the Year by the AVCA.
The pair led the 49ers to a 27-3 record, including the No. 1 ranking for five of the last six weeks of the season, en route to the MPSF regular season and tournament titles. Five players garnered All-America acclaim under their tutelage, while the team boasts the nation’s best hitting percentage (.371).
The USMC/AVCA Coach of the Year honor is the second for Knipe, who is in his 14th year at Long Beach State. He also received the accolade in 2004.
#BREAKING: @LBSU_MVB Head Coach Alan Knipe wins the @USMarineCorps / #AVCA Division I-II Men's Coach of the Year! pic.twitter.com/LqJS1f8gZr
— AVCA (@AVCAVolleyball) May 2, 2017
Hildebrand is in his fifth year at the Beach and predominantly works with the setters and offense. A former three-time All-American for the 49ers (2004-06), Hildebrand has helped setter Josh Tuaniga to a a pair of All-America accolades.
LBSU earned the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Championships and awaits the winner of Tuesday’s match between Barton and BYU. The match is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday.
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