Whether he was at the college level, or in a period of self-exile at the high school ranks, new UH-Hilo women’s volleyball coach Gene Krieger has enjoyed his share of winning.
Whether he was at the college level, or in a period of self-exile at the high school ranks, new UH-Hilo women’s volleyball coach Gene Krieger has enjoyed his share of winning.
However, it was six losses – against Sharon Peterson – that Krieger highlighted during his introductory news conference, which doubled as a meet-and-greet for campus staff.
The Vulcans unveiled their sixth head coach Monday, and the 59-year-old Krieger spent an ample amount of time paying homage to the program’s first. In hearkening back to the Vulcans’ glory days under Peterson, Krieger said goal No. 1 is finding Hawaii players.
“Nothing against the eight returning players that are not from Hawaii, but it’s going to be Hawaii first,” he said.
“I have about 25 phones calls I’m going to make in the next 24 hours to kids all over the state.”
UH-Hilo athletic director Pat Guillen hailed Krieger has a program-builder.
“He rose to the top from a deep pool of candidates,” Guillen said.
Krieger takes over for Tino Reyes, who was forced to resign after a fifth consecutive losing seasons.
“It’s a two-year plan,” Krieger said. “Two springs and two seasons, then (the team) should rise like yeast.”
According to a release, Kriegers’ college credentials include a 367-210 record and national coach of the year honors at three different stops. Most recently, he coached at Division II Anderson University, guiding the school in South Carolina to a 30-30 record during two seasons. Prior to that, he was 22-37 during a two-year reign at Northwestern Oklahoma State, though in his second-season the team improved its win total by 12.
Sophomore outside hitter Haylee Roberts was a player representative on the search committee and interviewed candidates.
“We are all pretty excited, because we all have the mentality that we want to win,” Roberts said. “Who wants to be a losing team? Everyone is ready for something different.”
“It was a really neat experience,” she said of the interview process. “There were so many people who could fill this roll, but Gene is very qualified, and I’m very excited to have him.”
The school said Krieger was given a one-year contract – to cover initial technicalities – but planned to make it a three-year deal.
Krieger inherits a team that finished 10-15 last season, 8-12 in the Pacific West Conference, and lost its best player, first-team all-PacWest hitter Marley Strand-Nicolaisen. He joked that he’s already spied on the team by watching a handful of 2016 matches on YouTube.
“We’re not in a replacement mode, we’re in a supplemental mode,” he said. “We’re emphasizing positions that we don’t already have.”
He vows to leave no stone untouched in mining Hawaii talent.
“I have a list of kids that are in high school now, and I also have a list of kids that are from Hawaii that are playing in junior colleges that might want to come home.
“You should be great in your backyard.”
Krieger’s roots to Hawaii date back to his first coaching stop at Warner Pacific, where he first went up against Peterson, who guided the Vulcans to five NAIA titles.
Even at later jobs – he coached at Western Oregon, Westmont, Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Baptist from 1983-96, winning a conference, district or regional titles at each stop – Krieger said he couldn’t avoid Peterson, or losing, so he started to emulate her.
“Sharon would use my gym to practice, and I would hide behind one of those gym doors that has a window on it,” he said, “and I would write down everything she did. I did that for three years.”
Krieger moved down to the high school level and coached a California team from 2000-13, taking a day job to help cover college expenses for his three children.
Among the players he mentored at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside was UH-Manoa junior outside hitter Kalei Greeley.
“He taught me pretty much everything I know about volleyball,” Greeley said in a release, ”and I firmly believe I would not be a Rainbow Wahine if it were not for him.”
Beyond becoming Hawaii-centric, Krieger noted that his second goal is a community-oriented approach.
Roberts said the structure to fill that objective is already in place.
“I think our AD is moving our school to what it should be,” she said. “There are so many things that this school can provide this community. We can be a winning team, even if the numbers don’t show that.
“It’s all about mentality, and I think Pat is cultivating a community of winning and being good and respectful and investing in the community. It’s a whole picture.”