Brian Gimmillaro

Brian Gimmillaro

Women’s Volleyball Head Coach, CSULB
1971, 1974, Teaching Credentials, CSULB
1970, Bachelor of Arts, Economics, CSULB

Regarded as one of the top volleyball minds in the country, women’s volleyball head coach Brian Gimmillaro is the most successful coach in Long Beach State history.  His business endeavors include Brian Gimmillaro Volleyball Enterprises, the California Juniors Volleyball Club — the oldest and most successful club of its kind — and BGVB camps and clinics.  He also developed a best-selling DVD series on instructional volleyball skills and co-authored the book, Volleyball: Drills for Success. 

At Long Beach State, he built an elite women’s volleyball program, “virtually from scratch,” leading the 49ers to 3 NCAA titles, 8 Final Fours, 27 NCAA tournament appearances, and 13 Big West titles over 31 seasons as head coach. 

Six of his players were named National Players of the Year, and Gimmillaro himself was the first college coach to be named Coach of the Year by the U.S. Olympic Committee.  Prior to returning to his alma mater, Gimmillaro made his mark at Gahr High School, guiding his program to a national first-place ranking in 1984. 

Gimmillaro was elected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and named a Big West Coach of the Year.  He is a three-time National Coach of the Year, a four-time Century Club Women’s Coach of the Year, and the recipient of the USA Volleyball All-Time Great Coach Award.  Additionally, he is a prolific public speaker who has made hundreds of speeches to businesses, clinics, conventions, and conferences throughout the country.

From Alumni Awards 2016 program