Kiraly, 51, joined the coaching staff in 2009 under the direction of Hugh McCutcheon, who has assumed a position as women‘s volleyball coach at the University of Minnesota.
“I could not be happier with USA Volleyball’s decision to select Karch as the head coach of the USA Women’s National Volleyball Team,” McCutcheon said of his successor. “He’s a great man and a wonderful volleyball coach – this is a fantastic hire.”
Kiraly looks to move the U.S. team to an even higher plateau than it has already achieved.
“This programme has such a history of high performance and has accomplished so much – including three Olympic Games silver medals – yet it has never won a Triple Crown Event: a World Championships, a World Cup or an Olympics,” Kiraly said. “At some point, the USA women will change that, and I yearn to help in that effort.”
Earlier in 2012, the U.S. captured the FIVB World Grand Prix gold medal for the third consecutive year. Team USA was 14-0 in the 2012 edition, including two victories over the eventual Olympic champions Brazil (No. 2 in the world), Italy (No. 4), China (No. 5), Turkey (No. 7), Dominican Republic (No. 8) and Serbia (No. 9). The U.S. finished their 2012 season with a 30-2 record following the Olympic Games.
“I spent much of the last quad focusing on the task at hand, trying to be the best team we could be, especially in London,” Kiraly said. “But as Hugh‘s departure drew near, I became thoroughly convinced and excited about carrying this work forward.”