Pitt Volleyball HC Rumored For USA Job

Pitt Panthers volleyball head coach is rumored for the USA job.

Dec 15, 2022; Omaha, Nebraska, US; Pittsburg Panthers head coach Dan Fisher watches action against the Louisville Cardinals in the semi-final match at CHI Health Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images / Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers volleyball head coach Dan Fisher has had a sensational tenure with the program, but he may have a chance to land the premier volleyball job in the country.

Paul Sunderland, who works as a play-by-play announcer for women's volleyball, spoke about Fisher on the 5th Set, an ESPN+ program looking at all of the NCAA Tournament matches live. He said that Fisher is rumored as one of the top candidates for head coach of the United States Women's National Volleyball Team.

The head coach position for the United States Women's National Volleyball Team is currently open. Karch Kiraly, who served in the position for 12 years and three Olympics from 2012-24, chose to take the head coaching job for the United States Men's National Volleyball Team on Oct. 24.

Kiraly had great success as the head coach, leading the USWNVT a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the gold medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, the first for the U.S., and a silver medal in the most recent 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Sunderland has national team experience as well, playing for the United States Men's National Volleyball Team from 1976-84, winning the gold medal in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

He mentioned that taking the job, which would also take him away from Pitt, is difficult with travel and being away from family, but leading the team into the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles is incredibly intriguing, especially since FIsher is from the area.

“And good for Dan Fisher. Done a wonderful job. Native of Southern California. Rumored, rumored to be…rumored if I may finish my thought, among the favorites to at least be seriously considered to take over for Karch Kiraly, who’s moved over to the men’s side, and coach our women’s olympic team in the 2028 Olympics," Sunderland said.

“But I’ll tell you what, this is a very interesting discussion. It’s a very, very tough decision because, thankfully, college volleyball coaches are making a ton of money right now and I’m very happy for them. It makes it a very difficult decision if you have young children, the travel, the time away, but I know a little bit about playing in the Olympics in the United States and there’s nothing like it. 

“So I think the allure of coaching the team in the United States is going to be big and Dan is in the mix.”

Fisher has turned Pitt volleyball from mediocrity into of the best programs in the country. He has amassed a record of 316-68 in 12 seasons, the most wins in program history and the longest tenured head coach.

He has also led Pitt to four straight Elite Eights and three straight Final Fours, with the latter achievement making them the only Division I team to do so.

The recent success has Fisher as the third highest paid coach in college women's volleyball, with his base salary of $521,833 in 2023, according to Volleyball Mag. The only coaches paid higher were Nebraska's John Cook, who earned $978,750, and Texas' Jerritt Elliot, who earned $724,750.

Fisher has also coached the U.S Women's National Volleyball Team at numerous times, most recently at the youth level. He assisted with the USA Volleyball Boys Youth Select program in 2006 an assistant for Team USA during the World University Games in Thailand in 2007.

He served as the head coach of the U.S. Women's National Team in the 2015 Pan American Games, leading them to their first goal medal in the competition since 1967. He also led them to a bronze medal in the 2016 Pan American Cup.

Fisher most recently served as the head coach of the U.S. Women's U-21 Team at the Pan American Cup, leading them to gold medals in 2022 and 2023. He had current Pitt players in senior setter Rachel Fairbanks and redshirt junior middle blocker Bre Kelley on both teams.

Pitt finished this regular season 29-1 overall and 19-1 in the ACC, giving them the conference title outright, their sixth in the past eight seasons. He also won ACC Coach of the Year for the third time and first since 2018.

They head into their ninth consecutive NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed and will host through to the Final Four if they make it that far.

Everyone Fisher coached on the 2022 Pan American Cup is currently in the NCAA Tournament.

Pitt will host Morehead State on Dec. 6 at 7:00 p.m. in the First Round at the Petersen Events Center.

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