November,12,2004,Colo.Spring- Doug Beal, the long-time USA men's national team head coach, has accepted an offer to become the new Chief Executive Officer of USA Volleyball, the sport's National Governing Body (NGB) announced Thursday.

Pending the approval of the USA Volleyball Board of Directors at its Winter Meetings from Jan. 14-16, 2005, Beal is scheduled to start work in his new position on Feb. 1, 2005.

"USA Volleyball is lucky to have a person with Doug's experience and knowledge of the NGB willing to step up and assume this position," said organization President, Al Monaco. "He, of course, has all of my support. I am sure that the USAV board will confirm his selection when it meets in January."

Beal, head coach of the 1984 USA men's Olympic team that won the gold medal in Los Angeles, has served USA Volleyball in a number of capacities during a career that spans more than 30 years.

"I am excited, I am motivated and I am energized to see if I can have a positive impact on our association—and hopefully the sport in general—from this position of leadership within USA Volleyball," said Beal, a member of the Volleyball Hall of Fame.

Earlier this year, Beal became the second coach in USA Volleyball history to guide three teams to the Olympics when Team USA qualified for the 2004 Summer Games by winning the NORCECA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico with a perfect 6-0 record. He also guided the team at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, Beal guided his squad to a 4-4 record and to a fourth-place finish overall—the team's best Olympic finish in 12 years.

Beal was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1989 and was USA Volleyball's first recipient of the All-Time Great Coach Award in 1995. He was named a finalist for the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) Greatest Coach of the Century. Beal was also recently selected to the USA Volleyball 75th Anniversary All-Era Team as a coach during the Men's 1978-2003 era.