Al Scates is an American volleyball coach whose name is most closely associated with UCLA men’s volleyball. Born in Los Angeles in 1939, Scates built one of the longest and most successful coaching careers in the college game, turning UCLA into a reference program for generations of American players and coaches. His tenure began before NCAA men’s volleyball had developed into its modern form, so his impact extends beyond championship results to the growth of the sport at the collegiate level in the United States.
Scates coached UCLA through multiple eras, adapting to changes in rules, recruiting, training methods and the wider competitive landscape while keeping the Bruins consistently relevant nationally. The International Volleyball Hall of Fame biography records 18 NCAA titles through 2000, and UCLA later added another championship under Scates before his retirement, giving his full head-coaching tenure 19 NCAA championships. His teams also produced national-team players, Olympians and future coaches who carried UCLA’s influence into international volleyball. Scates was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1993, well before the end of his coaching career, reflecting how established his legacy already was. He retired after the 2012 season, leaving a program identity built around sustained technical development and unusually long competitive continuity rather than a single championship cycle.
Coach Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Al Scates |
| Date of Birth | 13 June 1939 |
| Born | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Career Status | Retired coach |
| Longtime Team | UCLA Bruins Men’s Volleyball |
| NCAA Championships as Head Coach | 19 |
| Hall of Fame | International Volleyball Hall of Fame, Class of 1993 |