Men's National Team Head Coach
John Speraw has led the U.S. Men’s National Team since 2013, guiding the team to several top finishes including gold medals at the 2015 FIVB World Cup and the 2014 FIVB World League.
He guided the team to bronze medals at the 2016 Olympic Games, the 2018 FIVB World Championship and VNL and the 2019 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) and World Cup.
In 2019, the team qualified for its 10th straight Olympic Games (and 12th overall) in Tokyo, rescheduled for 2021. The team went on to finish 10th in Tokyo.
At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Speraw helped the team overcome a devastating semifinal loss to Italy and come back to win the bronze-medal match against Russia.
The U.S. Men have also won two NORCECA Championships (2013 and ’17).
Speraw has been the head men’s volleyball coach at UCLA since 2012 and continues in a dual role with the U.S. Men’s Team. In 2018, he guided UCLA to the NCAA Division I Championship final, losing to Long Beach State in five sets.
Speraw joined the U.S. Men’s staff in 2007 under then head coach Hugh McCutcheon. In 2008, he was the second assistant for the team that won the gold medal at the Beijing Olympic Games. After 2008, he worked with the U.S. Men as needed, including serving as head coach of a young team that finished fifth at the 2011 Pan American Games.
In 2012, Speraw returned as the assistant coach for the FIVB World League and filled in as head coach for the 2012 World League team for four overseas pool play matches while then head coach Alan Knipe was dealing with a family emergency. The U.S. Men went on to win the silver medal in the FIVB World League Final Round.
Speraw assisted Knipe at the 2012 Olympic Games in London where the U.S. Men placed fifth after winning its preliminary pool with a 4-1 record.
Speraw served as head coach of the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team that won the silver medal at the NORCECA Men’s Junior (U-21) Continental Volleyball Championship in 2004 and the team that placed sixth at the 2005 FIVB Junior World Championship. He served as an assistant for the U.S. Boys Youth National Team (1998 and 2001), the World University Games Team (1997 and 1999) and the Pan American Games Team (1999, 2007).
Prior to UCLA, Speraw coached UC Irvine men’s volleyball (2002-12). Under Speraw’s direction, the Anteaters won three NCAA National Championships six years and advanced to the NCAA Championship four times, won two Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) regular season titles and a pair of MPSF Tournament championships.
In 2008, Speraw received a Pillar Award, which showcases outstanding achievement in ethical leadership at the12th Annual Ethics in America Awards. In 2011, he was given the U.S. Olympic Achievement Award, an honor that recognizes colleges and universities whose coaches and student-athletes have won Olympic medals in the past two Olympic Games.
Prior to UCI, Speraw served in various roles with the UCLA men’s volleyball program for 12 years. He played middle blocker for the Bruins from 1992-95 and was a member of two national championship teams. He was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team in 1995 when he had 11 kills and eight blocks in the championship victory over Penn State.
Speraw became a volunteer assistant coach with the Bruins before assuming a full-time assistant’s position in 1998. He graduated from UCLA in 1995 with a bachelor of science degree in microbiology and molecular genetics. He grew up in Arcadia, Calif., and attended Arcadia High School.
In 2014, Speraw married Michelle La Mott. The couple has two children, Hailey and Brooklyn.
Speraw is the co-author of the book “Exercise for Your Muscle Type: The Smart Way to Get Fit.”