Volleyball: Brande named UCI’s volleyball director

IRVINE - Charlie Brande, a veteran figure of Orange County

volleyball, has been named women’s volleyball head coach at UC Irvine and

will also remain as head coach for the Anteater men’s volleyball program.

Brande, with the two head-coaching positions, becomes the director of

volleyball at UCI. A national search for an associate head coach in

women’s volleyball will be conducted, according to Athletic Director Dan

Guerrero.

Brande has served as the men’s head coach for the past three years,

leading the Anteaters to their most successful season in the program’s

history last spring with a 14-11 record and a first-ever trip to the

Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament.

Brande, who was named 1999 MSPF Coach of the Year, guided the men’s

team to wins over then-No. 1 Long Beach State, No. 2 UCLA and No. 7

Hawaii last season.

He has been the director of the Orange County Volleyball Club since

1982, administering 22 national championship teams and producing over 150

collegiate women’s volleyball players.

Brande also has been the director of the Balboa Bay Volleyball Club

since 1976, winning 13 national championships and sending over 50 players

into the men’s collegiate ranks.

Brande was assistant men’s and women’s coach at the University of

Hawaii in 1980-81 and assistant women’s coach at UCLA in 1982. He is a

former head coach at Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor high schools,

winning two boys’ and two girls’ CIF Southern Section championships and

one state championship in girls’ volleyball.

Brande, a contributor to Daily Pilot Sports with his volleyball column

for several years, is a 1969 graduate of UCI and played on the Anteaters’

first basketball team in 1965-66.

In assuming the women’s coaching position, Brande replaces Merja

Connolly-Freund, who resigned in November after four seasons as UCI

women’s coach.