University of the Pacific

Greg Gibbons is currently in his 15th season as the head coach of the women's indoor volleyball team, guiding the program to more than 200 career wins with a career mark of 222-179. Since Pacific joined the West Coast Conference in 2013, the veteran coach accumulated 165 career victories, ranking sixth all-time and third among active WCC coaches entering the 2024 season.

11 Tigers have earned First-Team All WCC honors since the return to the league in 2013, including three from the 2023 season (Alexa Edwards, Jenna Heller and Biamba Kabengele). Pacific had three more first-team selections when the program was in the Big West Conference in Gibbons's first three seasons. Giilian Howard earned the honor in both conferences and was a 2014 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American. Jaydn Tubbs led the WCC in dig average at 4.3 digs per contest in 2021, and Darina Kumanova led the conference in ace average at 0.46 in 2022. 

Gibbons was recognized as the WCC Coach of the Year in 2014 when he led the Tigers to their best season since 1991, finishing with a 24-7 overall record, including a 13-5 WCC mark.

In 2023, the Tigers posted an 18-11 record, including a 10-6 mark in WCC contests. They finished fourth overall in the league standings and earned their third straight appearance in the NIVC. Six Tigers earned All-WCC recognition, the most by a Tiger squad since returning to the conference in 2013. Biamba Kabengele was named an AVCA Pacific South All-Region honorable mention. Kabengele, Alexa Edwards and Jenna Heller were all named to the All-WCC First Team.

His 2022 squad finished 18-14, marking his seventh winning season as a Tiger head coach. The squad earned a bid to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship for the second straight year and the third time in his tenure. The squad won both matches in the NIVC opening weekend before falling in the quarterfinal, marking the program's best NIVC performance. 

The 2022 Tigers ran off a five-match win streak to end the non-conference season to finish 8-4 in non-league play. The team won five of nine WCC games in the second half of conference place, including the last three of the regular season, to improve the WCC mark to 8-10, good for a tie for fifth in the strong conference. With four WCC teams selected for the NCAA Tournament, Pacific was one of two teams to earn a NIVC invitation. The quarterfinal finish is the best for the Tigers in their three NIVC appearances. Three student-athletes including first-team selection Kabengele were named to All-WCC teams. 

In a bounce-back season in 2021, Gibbons led the team to a 13-16 record and a fourth-place finish in the West Coast Conference. The program earned upsets over nationally-ranked San Diego and Pepperdine and earned an at-large bid to the NIVC, facing off against Portland State in the first round. Gibbons coached multiple student-athletes to All-WCC honors, highlighted by Tubbs earning Libero of the Year. 

After missing the 2020 fall season, Pacific played a limited nine-match schedule in the spring of 2021 before the schedule was canceled due to COVID-19. 

In 2019, the Tigers won the last four matches of the season to finish with a 13-17 record. Pacific had a win at the UNLV Invitational and two All-WCC honors. 

In 2018, the Tigers finished with a 13-16 overall record, including an 8-10 record with key home victories over postseason qualifiers Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine.

The 2017 season was noteworthy for the Tigers. Gibbons led Pacific to a 17-14 mark en route to earning hosting duties for the first round of the NIVC, where the Tigers defeated Boise State in straight sets to advance to the finale against UC Irvine. The Tigers recorded aan 11-7 WCC mark to finish third in the conference. 

In 2016, Pacific had a 15-15 overall record and a 9-9 mark in WCC contests. 

In 2015, the Tigers recorded their sixth winning season in seven years with a 17-13 mark, including an 8-10 WCC record. 

In 2014, Gibbons was named Co-WCC Coach of the Year and became the first Tiger skipper to earn the top honor since legendary head coach John Dunning was named Big West Coach of the Year after the 2000 season. Gibbons led his team to its best record since the 2001 season at 24-7 and the second 20+ win season under his tutelage. Picked to finish seventh in the WCC, the Tigers tore through the conference, losing just five matches to take home a second-place finish just behind conference champion BYU. Gibbons's 2014 squad proved to be one of the best defensive teams in the country as Pacific finished the year ranked No. 10 in the nation in opponent hitting percentage at .145. Of 31 opponents on the year, the Tigers held 11 to sub-.100 hitting and five to .000 or worse. Guided by Gibbons, the 2014 Tigers put five players on the All-WCC teams, marking the most postseason honors for the Tigers since placing six on the All-Big West team in 2007. In addition, Gibbons coached senior Gillian Howard to the Tigers' first All-American honor in over a decade.

The ascent into the upper echelon of the WCC came just a year after Gibbons led the Tigers to a 7-11 conference mark in their new home after nearly 30 years as members of the Big West. In the first year in the WCC, Gibbons led the Tigers to a 15-15 overall record despite setbacks. The highlight of the 2013 season for the Tigers was an upset of No. 14 Michigan State and the program's fourth-straight Bankers Classic title. Gibbons and the Tigers picked up their first-ever WCC victory on September 19, when they beat Gonzaga, 3-1, at the Alex G. Spanos Center.

During Gibbons's first three years at Pacific, the Tigers competed in the Big West Conference where the program compiled a 57-34 mark, including a 25-25 BWC record. In 2012, the program hit the 20-win mark for the first time in his tenure with a 20-11 record, including an 8-10 conference mark. Among those 20 wins was a 12-1 non-conference record, its best since the 1999 season that saw Pacific ascend to No. 1 in the nation. Throughout the year, the Tigers showed brilliance and resilience as Pacific won three of four pre-conference tournaments and set an NCAA record for five-set matches with 14, in which the Tigers were 9-5 on the year. 

In 2011, the Tigers had their best finish in the Big West in his tenure with a fourth-place finish with an 8-8 mark, as part of 18-12 season. In his first season, he guided the Tigers to a 19-11 overall record in 2010, including a 9-7 mark in BWC play, finishing fifth in the league. 

He was the inaugural coach for the Pacific beach volleyball program in 2013 and coached that program for its first 11 seasons, handing the reins to the first fulltime coach in the summer of 2023. 

Before Pacific, Gibbons spent four seasons at UC Santa Barbara, including his final two as associate head coach. He was the primary recruiter for the Gauchos and was involved in all facets of running the program.

With extensive experience at the collegiate, club and USA Volleyball levels, Gibbons has brought an impressive coaching background to the Tiger program.

In two of his four years at UC Santa Barbara, Gibbons helped lead the program to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and 66 victories. In his first season, the Gauchos were 19-12 and had a 22-win season in 2009. At UCSB, he coached two All-Americans, three All-Region players, 10 All-Big West players and six All-Freshman players.

Gibbons went 41-29 as the head coach at Cal Lutheran from 2003-05, leading the Regales to an 18-3 mark, a conference championship and a final NCAA Division III national ranking of No. 18 in his last season. In 2004, Cal Lutheran finished with a West Region ranking of 7th and was ranked as high as No. 25 in the national poll. He guided CLU to the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title in 2005 while mentoring First Team AVCA All-American Mo Coverdale.

In 2008, Gibbons took over the Santa Barbara Volleyball Club as director and head coach. In 2009, he took the SBVC to the bronze medal at the Junior Olympics and a No. 3 national ranking. Prior to his time in Santa Barbara, Gibbons emerged as an outstanding club coach. He was the co-director and coach of the Los Angeles-based Sports Shack Volleyball Club from 2004 to 2007. In the 2005 season, he was named Club Coach of the Year while leading the under-15 team to a fifth-place finish at nationals. 

His under-18 team also won the Volleyball Festival National Championship, and in 2006, his under-16 team captured the regional title.
From 2004 to 2006, Gibbons served as head coach of the Southern California Volleyball Association Youth National Team based in Anaheim, coaching the region's top girls players that placed third at the Global World Championships in Salt Lake City in 2005.

In addition, Gibbons was Coordinator of Volleyball Affairs with the Pepperdine University men's program from 2003-05, analyzing game film and handling administrative responsibilities for the Waves. During his time in Malibu (2003-06), Gibbons was part of a program that won a national title (2005), was the national title runner-up (2003) and also played in a Final Four (2004).

Previously, Gibbons served as head boys and girls volleyball coach at both Westlake High School (2000-03) and was the head boys coach at Moorpark High School (1997-99) while also gaining experience with several Ventura County-based club programs.

Gibbons is a 1997 graduate of Iowa State University, where he earned a B.S. in psychology and, in 2009, earned his Master's degree in adult education from the University of Phoenix. At Iowa State, he played on the Cyclones' nationally-ranked club volleyball team, ranking as high as third in 1997.

He married Emily Cochran in December of 2005, and the couple has two sons, Max and Ryan, and a daughter, Charlotte.

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THE GREG GIBBONS FILE

Coaching Experience

2010-Present: Pacific, Head Coach, Indoor Volleyball
2013-23: Pacific, Head Coach, Beach Volleyball
2008-09: UC Santa Barbara, Associate Head Coach
2006-07: UC Santa Barbara, Assistant Coach
2003-05: Cal Lutheran, Head Coach

Pacific Highlights

• 36 All-Conference selections
• 11 All-Freshman selections
• 33 All-Academic selections
• 2014 West Coast Conference Co-Coach of the Year
• One Academic All-District 8 selection
• Two All-Region selections
• One AVCA All-American
• Four NIVC appearances (2017, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• 24 wins in 2014, most since 1991

Coaching History

Year	School	Position	Overall Record	WCC Record	Postseason
2024	Pacific	Head Coach
2023	Pacific	Head Coach	18-11	10-6	NIVC First Round
2022	Pacific	Head Coach	18-14	8-10	NIVC Quarterfinal
2021	Pacific	Head Coach	13-16	10-8	NIVC First Round
2020	Pacific	Head Coach	2-7	2-7
2019	Pacific	Head Coach	13-17	5-13
2018	Pacific	Head Coach	13-16	8-10
2017	Pacific	Head Coach	17-14	11-7	NIVC Second Round
2016	Pacific	Head Coach	15-15	9-9
2015	Pacific	Head Coach	17-13	8-10
2014	Pacific	Head Coach	24-7	13-5
2013	Pacific	Head Coach	15-15	7-11
2012	Pacific	Head Coach	20-11
2011	Pacific	Head Coach	18-12
2010	Pacific	Head Coach	19-11
2009	UC Santa Barbara	Associate Head Coach	22-8		NCAA First Round
2008	UC Santa Barbara	Associate Head Coach	11-6
2007	UC Santa Barbara	Assistant Coach	14-18
2006	UC Santa Barbara	Assistant Coach	19-12		NCAA First Round
2005	Cal Lutheran	Head Coach	18-3		NCAA D3 Regionals
2004	Cal Lutheran	Head Coach	17-7
2003	Cal Luthern	Head Coach	6-19