Al Scates ’61, M.S. ’62

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Few coaches have devoted so much of their careers to an alma mater. After 42 illustrious seasons as the UCLA’s men’s volleyball coach, Al Scates ’61, M.S. ’62 has joined the ranks as a Bruin legend.

Just as he has guided the volleyball team on the court, on Dec. 1, 2005, Scates was at the helm as Grand Marshal of the first Beat ’SC Parade.

A 2003 recipient of the Alumni Association’s Professional Achievement Award, Scates has continued to garner impressive accolades for his unparalleled success on the volleyball court.

Scates has coached the UCLA men’s volleyball team to 20 national championships – 18 NCAA Championships and two USVBA Collegiate Championships – more titles than any other coach at UCLA, more titles than any other coach at any other university, in any sport in history.

By the end of the 2005 season, Scates’ 42 nd season at UCLA, his coaching record included 1,109 wins against 200 losses – an 84.8 percent success rate. He is one of only two volleyball coaches to have won 1,000 matches. The other is UCLA women’s volleyball coach, Andy Banachowski ’68, who played under Scates in college. Banachowski won his 1,000 th match this season in an upset victory against the No. 2 Washington Huskies.

As of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Scates had coached 50 different first-team NCAA All-Americans and 27 members of the U.S. Olympic team. Scates encourages his All-Americans to try out for the Olympic team, even if it means not having them play at UCLA for a year, so that they will have the opportunity to play for their country.

Under Scates, UCLA’s men’s volleyball teams have steamrolled through three undefeated seasons; no other program can claim even one such season.

In 1993, Scates became the only active coach ever to be inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame and is a five-time recipient of the Coach of the Year award. In 2003, Scates was enshrined in the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame, becoming the first active coach in UCLA history to receive such accolades.

Scates was an outstanding player while at UCLA and was a member of the U.S. National Team. He played on six USA championship teams and earned All-American honors nine times.

Recognized as the United States’ foremost volleyball authority, his book, Winning Volleyball, is the textbook for volleyball coaches everywhere.

Scates has helped to advance volleyball in Southern California, having founded the Southern California Volleyball Association in his first year of coaching at UCLA, serving as its commissioner from 1963-72. That organization would become the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, the competitive league in which UCLA volleyball teams continue to compete.

In 2005, he was selected to serve a two-year term as the men’s collegiate representative on the board of directors for the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

“To say that Al Scates is the most outstanding coach ever understates his accomplishments.”
- William Mills, J.D. ’82, Past chair, Professional Achievement Awards Nominating Committee