Speraw leaves UCLA for head coach position at UC Irvine

By Diamond Leung
DAILY BRUIN SENIOR STAFF
[email protected]

For the last decade, John Speraw has been a part of UCLA
men’s volleyball as a player and an assistant coach. So even
after he accomplished his goal of becoming a head coach, as he was
named the top man at UC Irvine on Tuesday, forgive him for not
being quite ready to leave.

“It’s going to be a sad day when I clean out my
office,” Speraw said. “It’s a special
opportunity, but my time at UCLA has been incredible. It’s
bittersweet.”

Speraw lettered for the Bruins as a middle blocker from 1992-95,
winning two national championships and finally becoming a starter
as a fifth-year senior. He then served as a volunteer assistant
coach before becoming a full-time assistant for the past four years
under legendary head coach Al Scates.

“It’s a good hire by UC Irvine,” Scates said.
“He’s a good teacher.”

Scates, who believed his assistant was better than many current
Division I head coaches, always supported Speraw’s dream of
becoming a head coach. He recommended Speraw to UCI when the
Anteater head coach position became vacant, even though it meant
losing a top assistant to a team he would face twice a year.

Speraw is thankful for Scates’ help and knows he has a
ways to go before he can even come close to matching his
mentor’s success.

“I’m used to winning a championship every year at
UCLA,” he said. “It’s going to take some time at
UCI.”

Speraw will replace Charlie Brande, who left the position during
the off-season to concentrate on coaching the UCI women’s
team. Brande was an assistant coach for the UCLA women’s team
in 1982.

Mike Sealy, a three-time All-American setter from 1990-93 and a
volunteer assistant in 2001 for the Bruins, will be the top
candidate to replace Speraw, according to Scates.