AL GIVENS RETIRES

Weber State University volleyball coach Al Givens to resign following 2010 season

OGDEN, Utah - After 18 seasons ( I participated in 3 of those), Al Givens has announced he is stepping down as head coach of Weber State University women's volleyball team effective at the end of the 2010 season. "This was a difficult decision for me personally, but as many who have been in this profession know, change is enevitable and I feel that time to change is now," said Givens. "I would like to thank the University and Athletic Administration for all their help and support over these many years, and also the many friends and associateds whom I have had the pleasure of working with. I will take many treasured memories with me as I move onward." Given's took over the Wildcats' volleyball program in 1993, becoming the eighth head coach in Weber State volleyball history. In 18 seasons, he is Weber State's all-time leader in coaching victories with 204 and ranks fourth all-time in Big Sky Conference victories. Givens has led the Wildcats to eight Big Sky Tournament appearances. In 2006, Givens was honored as the Big Sky Conference Co-Coach of the Year. He is currently the longest tenured coach in the conference. At Weber State his ahtletes have recieved Big Sky Academic All-Conference honors 100 times (I was 2 of those) and have received 35 Big Sky All-Conference honors. "Al Givens has been a dedicated member of the coaching staff at Weber State for many years," said WSU Athletic Director Jerry Bovee. "He has been a great influence on the ahtletes he has coached over his 18 seasons. He has been a great team player in the Athletic Department and we wish him well into the future." Prior to coming to Weber State, Givens was the head coach for seven seasons at Texas A&M and one season at Mississippi. He started his coaching career at Kofa High School in Yuma, AZ in 1976. He also coached three seasons at Arizona Western College. In all, Givens has been a volleyball coach for the past 34 seasons, coaching at the Division I, community college, club, and high school levels. He has won more thean 350 career matches at the collegiate level. Al Givens was born in Brawley, CA on February 3, 1951. He received his Bachelor's degree in 1974 from Williams Jennings Bryan University in Dayton, Tennessee. While working on his degree in Business Administration, Givens played baseball and soccer. In 1983 he received his Master's degree in Education from Northern Arizona University. Givens is married to the former Flossie McNally. The two of them met on opposite sides of the net while coaching volleyball at rival high schools in Arizona. Flossie Givens played college volleyball at Cal Poly University in San Luis Obispo, CA. Givens has two daughters, Stephanie and Cori, and he and Flossie have a 17 year-old son Matt. Al has one 8 year old grandson, Drew, and in August 2005 he was presented with tree grandchildren born on the same day, Cori had twins, Caleb and Christopher, and Stephanie had Rebecca, all on August 9, 2005. In October 2007, a new grandson, Nicolas Alexander joined the family born to Stephanie.