John Dunning, who led the Pacific volleyball program for 16 seasons including the national championship campaigns of 1985 and 1986, returned to the Pacific athletics staff in 2022 as the Special Assistant to the Director of Athletics for Competitive Excellence.
In this new role, Dunning serves as a mentor and sounding board for Pacific’s head and assistant coaches. His unique role, not often found in college athletics, provides a resource for coaches to develop and grow, benefiting from his life experiences and decades of success.
Dunning was a high school math teacher at Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, Calif., before coming to Pacific for the first time in 1985. His volleyball teams compiled a 283-32 record at Fremont and won the 1980 state title.
At Pacific, he coached from 1985 to 2000 and his program made 16 straight NCAA Tournament appearances in his 16 years at the helm, compiling a postseason record of 43-15. He coached 16 All Americans at Pacific, including two-time Olympian Elaina Oden and 2008 Olympian Jennifer Joines.
He then coached 16 years at Stanford (2001-16), leading the Cardinal to three national championships (2001, 2004, 2016) and compiling a 58-13 record in the NCAA tournament. His 32-year college coaching record was 888-185 for an 82.8 winning percentage. His teams recorded 24 Top 10 finishes in the 32 years.
Dunning was named the AVCA national coach of the year in 2001 and 2016 and was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2011. He was inducted in the Pacific Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007 and was also named to the Fremont High School, Stockton Sports, and San Jose Sports hall of fames.
Dunning lives in nearby Lodi with his wife, Julie. The couple has two daughters, Lauren and Lisa, and two grandchildren, McKenzie and Cole.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Economics from San Diego State University.
