Cathy George
Biographical details
Alma materIllinois State
Playing career
1981-1985Illinois State
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1987-1988North Dakota State
1989-1993UT-Arlington
1994-2004Western Michigan
2005-2021Michigan State
2024-presentGrand Rapids Rise
Head coaching record
Overall667-457 (.593) (collegiate)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
MAC Coach of the Year (2000)

3x Southland Coach of the Year (1989, 1990, 1992)
NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year (1988)

2x North Central Coach of the Year (1987, 1988)

Cathy George is a college women's volleyball coach. She began her coaching career at North Dakota State, coaching there for two years. She moved on to coach Texas-Arlington and made the NCAA tournament twice with the team. She coached Western Michigan next, appearing in the NCAA tournament in 2000 and receiving MAC Coach of the Year. George was most recently the head coach of the Michigan State Spartans and retired at the end of the 2021 season.

Early life

Cathy George graduated from Illinois State in 1985. She lettered in volleyball all four years at the university. While on the team, they won three consecutive conference titles and had three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. George was a team captain. She also earned All-MVC three times.[1]

George earned her Master's degree in Education from Central Michigan in 1987. She is married and has two sons.[1][2]

Coaching career

North Dakota State

George spent two years coaching at North Dakota State, finishing with an overall record of 87-11. She was the NCAA Division II Coach of the Year and the North Central Conference Coach of the Year twice.[1]

Texas-Arlington

Starting in 1989, George coached the Texas-Arlington volleyball team. George coached there for five seasons, finishing with a record of 93-74. She was a three-time Southland Conference Coach of the Year.[1]

The 1989 team finished third in the NCAA tournament, a school record, and she became the first female to coach in the Final Four.[1]

Western Michigan

George began coaching Western Michigan in 1994. She coached for eleven seasons, culminating in a 185-139 overall record.[1][2]

She was the MAC coach of the year in 2000; the team made the NCAA tournament that year.[1][2]

Michigan State

George started coaching the Michigan State volleyball team in 2005. She said that it was always her dream to coach in the Big Ten. She was announced as the head coach a week after Chuck Erbe retired.[2] The team was ranked ninth in the Big Ten preseason polls.[3] She retired at the end of the 2021 season, being the winningest coach in program history, with a record of 302-233. She also led the Spartans to 10 NCAA Appearances.[4]

Grand Rapids Rise

In March 2023, George was named the inaugural head coach of the Pro Volleyball Federation's team in western Michigan which would be named the Grand Rapids Rise in April 2023.[5]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
North Dakota State Bison () (1987–1988)
1987 North Dakota State 44-8-Division II NCAA Fifth Place
1988 North Dakota State 43-3-Division II NCAA Third Place
North Dakota State: 87-11 (.888)
UT Arlington Mavericks (Southland Conference) (1989–1993)
1989 UT Arlington 31-47-01stNCAA National semifinals
1990 UT Arlington 18-197-01stNCAA first round
1991 UT Arlington 13-188-12nd
1992 UT Arlington 20-149-01st
1993 UT Arlington 11-196-3T-4th
UT Arlington: 93-74 (.557)37-4 (.902)
Western Michigan Broncos (Mid-American Conference) (1994–2004)
1994 Western Michigan 10-166-117th
1995 Western Michigan 8-205-128th
1996 Western Michigan 20-810-73rd
1997 Western Michigan 13-159-73rd
1998 Western Michigan 19-1311-73rd
1999 Western Michigan 25-715-32nd
2000 Western Michigan 25-617-11stNCAA first round
2001 Western Michigan 15-1110-84th
2002 Western Michigan 14-188-103rd
2003 Western Michigan 17-148-83rd
2004 Western Michigan 19-1111-52nd
Western Michigan: 185-139 (.571)110-79 (.582)
Michigan State Spartans (Big Ten Conference) (2005–present)
2005 Michigan State 12-185-159th
2006 Michigan State 19-1210-106thNCAA first round
2007 Michigan State 21-1410-105thNCAA regional semifinal
2008 Michigan State 15-167-137th
2009 Michigan State 17-165-1510thNCAA first round
2010 Michigan State 15-167-139th
2011 Michigan State 22-1210-106thNCAA second round
2012 Michigan State 25-1011-96thNCAA regional semifinal
2013 Michigan State 23-1210-107thNCAA regional semifinal
2014 Michigan State 19-1411-97thNCAA second round
2015 Michigan State 19-1410-107thNCAA second round
2016 Michigan State 25-913-75thNCAA second round
2017 Michigan State 23-914-64thNCAA Regional finals
2018 Michigan State 17-165-15T-9th
2019 Michigan State 15-156-149th
2020 Michigan State 3-123-12T-12th
2021 Michigan State 11-184-16T-11th
Michigan State: 301-233 (.564)141-180 (.439)
Total:666-457 (.593)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Cathy George". Michigan State Spartans. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Mason Chooses Proven Winner". Lansing State Journal. December 10, 2004. p. 17. Retrieved November 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Volleyball team out to be a surprise". Lansing State Journal. August 27, 2005. p. 13. Retrieved November 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "MSU Volleyball Coach Cathy George announces retirement". The State News. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Cathy George joins West Michigan Pro Volleyball". Retrieved 2023-12-18.
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