Fresno Pacific's Dennis Janzen Awarded 2007 AVCA NAIA National Coach of the Year
 

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (December 6, 2007) – The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) is proud to announce that Fresno Pacific University head women’s volleyball coach Dennis Janzen has been selected has the 2007 NAIA AVCA National Coach of the Year.

In his 23rd season as commander at Fresno Pacific, Janzen furthered the Sunbirds’ legacy in the volleyball world by leading his team to the school’s third NAIA National Championship on Dec. 1 in Columbia, Mo. Fresno Pacific’s four-game victory over No. 2 California Baptist in the NAIA title tilt was the pinnacle of another impressive campaign under Janzen’s guidance.

The 2007 season was one of the program’s best in history, as the Sunbirds ended the year with a 37-1 record, a Golden State Athletic Conference Championship, a NAIA District/Region title and, ultimately, their first national championship since 2003. Fresno Pacific had its goal of an undefeated season quashed by a 3-2 loss to Biola on October 31, yet only one other Janzen-coached team has ended the year with a better record, that being a 38-1 mark set by the 2005 squad. The loss could very well have been a motivator for the Sunbirds, as the team finished the season by securing 3-0 sweeps over 10 of its last 12 opponents, with the other two wins coming in four games.

Over the past 23 seasons, which Janzen has mentored, Fresno Pacific has compiled a 729-164 record, while capturing 14 GSAC championships, 12 NAIA Region/District titles and three NAIA National Championships (1989, 2003 and 2007. Janzen led his squads to 23 consecutive winning seasons, and his last 16 teams, excluding 1992 and 1993 when he was on study leave, have appeared in the NAIA National Tournament. In addition, he has coached two NAIA National Players of the Year, including this year’s recipient Shu Liu. Janzen was inducted to the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2003.

Janzen, who also serves as the university’s athletics director, has not experienced success with only the Sunbirds. In 1992 he spent seven months in San Diego assisting in the development and training of the United States Men's Olympic Team. He has also served as an assistant coach with the men's programs at Penn State University and the University of Southern California, and has been both an assistant and head coach at the US Olympic Festival.

The AVCA will formally present the 2007 NAIA AVCA National Coach of the Year award to Janzen at the 2007 Jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon in Sacramento, Calif., on Thursday, December 13.  The luncheon is held in conjunction with the 2007 AVCA Annual Convention.