Misty May-Treanor hired as Long Beach City College's director of volleyball operations

In the biggest “name” hire for a Long Beach sports team since George Allen came to Long Beach State a quarter century ago, Long Beach City College confirmed on Thursday that the Vikings’ new director of volleyball operations will be three-time Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor.

May-Treanor will start in the first week of July, and will be the head coach for the women’s volleyball team as well as a newly-created beach volleyball team. She will also oversee the defending state champion LBCC men’s volleyball team.

“I really like the community college level,” said May-Treanor. “I love getting the players to move on to four-year schools, it’s rewarding.”

May-Treanor’s Long Beach ties run deep. After a star tu playing for the Long Beach State women’s volleyball team, she embarked on a professional beach career that saw her pile up 112 touament wins, most ever, including the unprecedented three straight Olympic golds from 2004-2012 as well as three other world championships. May-Treanor and her husband, longtime MLB player Matt Treanor, reside in East Long Beach.

The four-time AVP most valuable player and 11-time AVP best offensive player has also become the face of her sport, as the most recognizable women’s volleyball player in the world, thanks to a career that has eaed her Wheaties boxes and a season on Dancing With the Stars.

It’s been no secret that May-Treanor has wanted to break into coaching. She got her master’s degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University and has served as a volunteer assistant at Irvine Valley College, as well as Long Beach State and USC’s beach teams recently.

“We are thrilled to have an athlete of Misty’s caliber lead our volleyball program,” LBCC President Eloy Ortiz Oakley said in the school’s official statement. “She is an icon in her sport and a longtime Long Beach resident with deep roots in our community. She will serve as an inspiration to our students and a strong leader in our athletics department.”

The work won’t be easy. May-Treanor inherits a women’s volleyball team that was one of just three Vikings teams to not make the playoffs last season, after a disappointing 7-17 record.

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The hire is a particular thrill for LBCC athletic director Randy Totorp, who played collegiate volleyball and who is the former coach of the LBCC men’s team.

“I don’t know if I can even process it one hundred percent,” he said. “To bring in the biggest athlete in the sport to come in and help us, you can’t even measure it.”