Legendary Women’s Volleyball Coach Russ Rose Announces Retirement

By Kenny Varner Jr.
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Updated: December 23, 2021

Courtesy of GoPSU Athletics

Photo by Jeff Shomo

Winningest coach in NCAA Division I history retires after 43 years as the leader of the Nittany Lions

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State women’s volleyball head coach Russ Rose announced his retirement today after 43 years leading the Nittany Lions. Rose retires from his post as the winningest coach in NCAA Division I women’s volleyball history with 1,330 victories in his illustrious career.

Rose will remain in an advisory role within the athletics department. Katie Schumacher-Cawley will serve as interim head coach as Penn State opens a national search for its next head coach.

“While I have decided to step into retirement, it has been my pleasure to serve as the head coach of the Penn State women’s volleyball program over the last 43 seasons,” said Rose. “My time here has provided my family and I many memories and relationships that we will carry with us. I would like to thank the many players, managers and support staff for their dedication, in addition to all of the assistants who helped shape the culture and success of the program.

“I would also like to express my appreciation to Penn State’s administration over the years, from the President’s Office, to the Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics and multiple athletic directors and senior woman administrators who have been responsible for our program and allowed our many players over the last 43 years the opportunity to reach for the stars, both on the court and in the classroom,” continued Rose. “Also, I cannot say enough about the support of the community and the Booster Club, who have been a true blessing. I wish nothing but the best for the future of the program.”

Rose guided the Nittany Lions to seven NCAA titles, including four-straight championships, and 17 Big Ten crowns. He has been at the helm of all 41 of Penn State’s NCAA Tournament appearances, making the Nittany Lions the only team in NCAA history to appear in all 41 tournaments. Under his tutelage, Rose’s student-athletes have earned 112 AVCA All-America honors, four AVCA National Players of the Year, 14 Big Ten Conference Players of the Year, 221 Academic All-Big Ten selections and 19 CoSIDA Academic All-America laurels.

“It’s difficult to appropriately capture our appreciation for Russ Rose and his service to our students, Penn State and our women’s volleyball program. We send our heartfelt congratulations to Russ Rose on a phenomenal career at Penn State, and decades of tremendous impact on students, staff and community,” said Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Sandy Barbour. “He has been a mainstay of our community for more than four decades and will long be remembered for raising the profile of women’s volleyball, not just at Penn State but nationally. His legacy will live on through the hundreds of student-athletes who recount what a positive influence he has been on their lives, long after graduation. The all-time winningest coach in NCAA history, Russ was the architect of one of the most successful dynasties in college sports, leading his team to seven NCAA Championships, including four consecutive NCAA Championships, and 109-straight wins from 2007-10.

“Russ’ student-athletes have consistently been the epitome of the term, succeeding in the classroom, on the court and in the community,” continued Barbour. “He truly prepared his student-athletes for a lifetime of impact during his time in the Blue & White. We also want to recognize Russ’ wife, Lori, and the entire Rose family, who played a huge role in the success of Penn State women’s volleyball during Russ’ career. We know we will continue to see Russ and the Rose family in Rec Hall for years to come. There will be a time in the near year where we will properly celebrate Russ’ many accomplishments, but for now, we want to say congratulations and thank you!”

Rose is one of five NCAA Division I coaches to have 1,000 victories. Among his many accomplishments, Rose’s most notable achievement is leading his teams to 109 consecutive match victories, 111-straight set wins, and four consecutive national championships from 2007-10. The 109-straight victories claim the second-longest win streak by a women’s team in Division I history and fourth overall.

RUSS ROSE CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Led Penn State to seven NCAA national championships (1999, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014), second-most of any program
Guided the Nittany Lions to 25 conference championships (17 Big Ten, 8 Atlantic 10)
Ranks first in NCAA Division I history with 1,330 career wins
One of five NCAA Division I coaches and one of 11 coaches across all three NCAA Divisions with 1,000 wins
Went 1,330-229 (.853) in 43 seasons as PSU’s head coach, which ranks seventh in NCAA Division I history for win percentage
Propelled Penn State to an appearance in all 41 NCAA Tournaments, the only school to appear in all 41 tourneys
Guided the Nittany Lions to 10 championship match appearances and 13 national semifinal berths
Won every NCAA Tournament first round game played
Owns 106 NCAA Division I Tournament victories, the most of any coach
Only two programs (Nebraska, Stanford) have more NCAA Tournament wins than Rose
Never posted less than 21 wins in a season during his career (does not include 2021 COVID season in which only 16 matches were played)
Posted at least 30 wins in 28 seasons
Ranked in 503 consecutive AVCA polls, dating back to the final poll in 1989
Guided team to 97 weeks as No. 1 ranked team in AVCA polls
Tutored eight Olympians (12 appearances), including 2020 gold medalists Haleigh Washington and Micha Hancock
Produced four AVCA National Players of the Year, four AVCA National Freshmen of the Year and 112 AVCA All-Americans
Registered at least one AVCA All-American in 41 of 43 seasons as a head coach
Had four Honda Volleyball Award winners and one Honda-Broderick Cup winner (Megan Hodge, 2009)
Mentored two Big Ten Female Athletes of the Year, 21 Big Ten Players of the Year (14 Players of the Year, 5 Defensive Players of the Year, 2 Setters of the Year), 13 Big Ten Freshmen of the Year and 100 All-Big Ten honorees
Guided eight Atlantic 10 Players of the Year and four Atlantic 10 Rookies of the Year
Had five CoSIDA Academic All-Americans of the Year and two NCAA Elite 90 award winners
Had 221 Academic All-Big Ten selections and 19 CoSIDA Academic All-American selections
Guided the Nittany Lions to 109 consecutive match wins, the fourth-longest streak in NCAA Division I history and second-longest by a women’s team
Led Penn State to 111-straight set wins in 2009
Recorded 17 undefeated home seasons
Won 94 consecutive home matches from Sept. 1, 2006-Dec. 11, 2010, the longest streak in NCAA Division I history
Named AVCA National Coach of the Year five times (1997, 1998, 2007, 2008, 2013) and AVCA Regional Coach of the Year 11 times
Selected a conference Coach of the Year 22 times (16 Big Ten, 6 Atlantic 10)
In seven seasons in the Atlantic 10, Penn State never lost a conference match
Penn State was ranked in every final AVCA poll since 1988
Guided as head coach of the United States men’s volleyball team to a bronze medal at the 1985 Maccabiah Games and the women’s volleyball team to a silver medal in the 1981 Maccabiah Games
Inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2007
Named one of USA Volleyball’s All-Time Great Coaches in 2005
Had 33 student-athletes go on to professional careers
Received the 2013 Honorary Penn State Alumni Award
Honored with his own ice cream flavor, Russ “digs” Roseberry, at Penn State’s Berkey Creamery in 2014
Won the 1974 National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national championship as a player at George Williams College
Was an assistant coach for George Williams on the NAIA men’s volleyball national championship team in 1997