Two weeks ago, North Carolina volleyball head coach Joe Sagula won his 600th career match, becoming one of just a handful of coaches to reach that milestone. Sagula looks at the achievement quite modestly.
“For me, it’s really a recognition that I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I’ve won more games than I lost,” Sagula said.
Sagula’s career now stands at 605-379, with 402 coming in his 21 years at UNC after coaching at the University of Pennsylvania for nine seasons. He has won more games than any volleyball coach in program history and has overseen five ACC Championships and 11 NCAA Tournament berths.
But Sagula’s 600th win did not come without its share of difficulty — he waited an entire off-season to reach the milestone. The Tar Heels lost their final game last season to the N.C. State team, which hadn’t won a single ACC game until that point. And Sagula stood at 599 until a 3-0 win against Campbell on Aug. 28.
“There was a lot of hype about it last year, and it was frustrating because I didn’t want it to be a factor,” Sagula said. “And the fact that I was done so early now, I thought it was good. I just wanted it to be over with.”
Assistant coach and former UNC player Eve Rackham said she appreciates Sagula’s vision and consistency.
Players said Sagula’s high standards have made him successful.
Senior outside hitter Suzanne Haydel said Sagula maximizes the production of each player.
“He knows how much potential each player has, and he gets on them about it,” Haydel said. “But I think the more he gets on a person, the more he knows how good that person can be.”
