Former Western Nebraska Community College volleyball coach Chris Green never thought he would be among the list of junior college volleyball elite to be inducted in the NJCAA volleyball Hall of Fame.
Well, come Nov. 16, the former Gering High School graduate and current University of Alaska Anchorage head volleyball coach will be one of two individuals that will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the NJCAA national tournament banquet in West Plains, Mo.
Green said it came as a shock to hear that he was selected as an inductee.
"It is a great honor to be selected to be part of an amazing group of previous honorees," he said. "Honestly, I never thought about it. When we were at the National Tournament as coach at WNCC, when the inductees were announced at the banquet I thought that it was a great honor for those that got inducted, but never thought of myself being one of those people."
Green is just one of two inductees into the Hall of Fame this season. The other inductee is current Blinn head coach David Rehr. Rehr is in his ninth season as the head man for the Blinn volleyball program.
Green is just one of two inductees into the Hall of Fame this season. The other inductee is current Blinn head coach David Rehr. Rehr is in his ninth season as the head man for the Blinn volleyball program.
Green enters the Hall of Fame after spending nine years at the helm of the WNCC volleyball program. In nine seasons at WNCC, Green compiled a 453-55 record while leading the Cougars to nine straight national tournament appearances. WNCC had just one national tournament appearance before Green, that coming in 1988.
Green's 2007 squad won the NJCAA Division I national title and his teams finished in the top 10 nationally in seven of his nine seasons, including a string of national semi-finals appearances. In the last three seasons, WNCC went 163-7 and finished national runner-up in 2006, losing to Iowa Western Community College. Green won his first national title the next season when the Cougars defeated Miami Dade College.
Green said all his teams he coached at WNCC bring good memories.
"I think the first year stands out because it was my first year coaching at the college level," he said. "There was another one year where our team really exceeded my expectations and that was a very good memory. And of course the last year I was at WNCC (1999) winning the National Championship is a very special year, not just because of our success, but because it was my last year at WNCC."
Since Green became head coach at WNCC, the WNCC volleyball team has won 13 straight Region IX titles and two national titles. The Cougar volleyball team have also been to seven straight Final Fours at the national tournament and won two national titles -- 2007 and 2010.
Alongside coaching at WNCC, Green was also a math instructor, which was something he enjoyed as much as coaching.
Alongside coaching at WNCC, Green was also a math instructor, which was something he enjoyed as much as coaching.
"Teaching math as my “main job” was a memory that I will cherish at WNCC. I enjoyed teaching along with the coaching," he said. "Overall, I remember all the travel, the close wins, wins over very good teams, the players who worked hard in the classroom and on the court. Looking back, you always remember the good things, but of course there were the difficulties too."
Under Green’s tutelage, the Cougars earned a total of 10 first-team and six second-team NJCAA All-America certificates and regularly placed players at NCAA Div. I and II programs. WNCC’s players also found success in the classroom, with the team maintaining a cumulative 3.0 grade-point average in all nine of his seasons.
Under Green’s tutelage, the Cougars earned a total of 10 first-team and six second-team NJCAA All-America certificates and regularly placed players at NCAA Div. I and II programs. WNCC’s players also found success in the classroom, with the team maintaining a cumulative 3.0 grade-point average in all nine of his seasons.
Green said that what he gained in knowledge at WNCC has been beneficial at the four-year level.
"Coaching at WNCC was a lot of fun, but yet very competitive," he said. "I think being in many different situations in those nine years has helped me prepare my teams at UAA for our opponents."
Green is in his fourth year as head coach at Alaska Anchorage where he has turned around the Seawolves program. In just three seasons at the helm of the Alaska Anchorage volleyball program, Green has led the Seawolves to one of the most remarkable turnarounds in collegiate volleyball, culminating with back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2010.
Green is in his fourth year as head coach at Alaska Anchorage where he has turned around the Seawolves program. In just three seasons at the helm of the Alaska Anchorage volleyball program, Green has led the Seawolves to one of the most remarkable turnarounds in collegiate volleyball, culminating with back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2010.
Last season his Seawolves finished 18-9 — including a win over 2nd-ranked and eventual West Region champion Cal State San Bernardino — as they again made the NCAA Division II playoffs in perhaps the nation’s toughest region.
His 2009 club won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and boosted by a school-record 13-match win streak. The Nebraska native earned both the GNAC and NCAA Div. II West Region coach-of-the-year awards as the Seawolves tied for the best winning percentage (.742) and posted the second-most victories in program history.
In his first year at UAA, Green took over a team that had won just five matches the previous campaign, producing a solid 15-14 mark.
The Gering, Neb., native also coached seven years at the prep level, including a four-year stint at Kauai High School in Lihue, Hawaii. Green earned a bachelor of science in mathematics from the University of Nebraska in 1991, and received his master’s degree from the University of Wyoming in 1995.
The Gering, Neb., native also coached seven years at the prep level, including a four-year stint at Kauai High School in Lihue, Hawaii. Green earned a bachelor of science in mathematics from the University of Nebraska in 1991, and received his master’s degree from the University of Wyoming in 1995.
Green has coached a number of players during his 11 years of coaching collegiately. Two of the coaches at this year's Division I national tournament played for Green back in 2001 at WNCC. They include Flavia Siqueira, coach of the College of Central Florida team, and Giovana Melo, who took over the reins at WNCC after Green left.
Green said that he will attend only if his team is not playing in the NCAA tournament. Currently, his team is one win away from winning the conference tournament and an automatic berth into the national tournament. The Seawolves final regular season contest will be Saturday, Nov. 12 Western Oregon. The national tournament begins Nov. 17.
Chris Green's coaching resume
Year Record College National Tourney
1999 35-10 Western Nebraska 5th
2000 51-3 Western Nebraska 10th
2001 57-5 Western Nebraska 4th
2002 57-9 Western Nebraska 3rd
2003 43-12 Western Nebraska 9th
2004 47-9 Western Nebraska 4th
2005 53-3 Western Nebraska 4th
2006 56-2 Western Nebraska 2nd
2007 54-2 Western Nebraska National Champs
2008 15-14 Alaska Anchorage
2009 23-8 Alaska Anchorage
2010 18-9 Alaska Anchorage
2011 18-7** Alaska Anchorage
** current record through Nov. 10
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