Hawks Men’s Volleyball Alum Joe Sagula Honored by AVCA

Joe Sagula, the winningest coach in ACC men's volleyball history, recorded more than 650 victories for the Tar Heels. Photo courtesy of University of North Carolina Athletics

On Oct. 10, the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced their 2024 Hall of Fame class, which included SUNY New Paltz men’s volleyball alumni Joe Sagula along with Kathy Gregory, Hugh McCutcheon and Barry Goldberg. 

Sagula was sitting in his office when he received the news. “I first found out through the executive director of the AVCA, Jamie Gordon. He called me a few weeks ago and told me that he had the pleasure of calling people with some good news, and told me that I was going to be inducted into this year’s Hall of Fame class,”  said Sagula. “I felt honored and it was an emotional moment for me. Getting an award like this is definitely a highlight to a career. It’s something you don’t think about. It is not something I as a coach devoted my time to accomplish — it just took me by surprise.” 

Sagula came to SUNY New Paltz to pursue art and would have never imagined that volleyball would have a huge impact on his life and career. “I have to give much thanks and credit to my coach at New Paltz, Dr. William T. Odeneal. He got me started in the sport. I never saw the sport before my sophomore year at New Paltz, and I was fortunate to be a member of the team,” said Sagula. “ I then formed a great relationship with him which then led me to help him coach during the Empire State Games. Because of him, I found my love for sport and coaching.” After finding his love for volleyball, Sagula added a minor in coaching.  

Sagula completed a degree in Fine Arts, Drawing and Painting, along with a Bachelor of Art Education K-12 with a minor in coaching. Sagula believes his experience at SUNY New Paltz helped shape him into the teacher and volleyball coach we now know. 

“I spent my formidable days from 18-23 years old. I think about these days and how important they were for me, and how it just helped mold me into being someone to appreciate a career in teaching, being part of educating people in the sport and using the sport of volleyball as my vehicle,” stated Sagula. “Something that I learned that I tried to always do while coaching was to be positive with my team. You can get your message across and be effective by just connecting and communicating with the team.”

After graduation, Sagula taught Fine Arts in Peekskill, NY while coaching volleyball. When he was 25, he earned the opportunity to become a coach for the University of Pennsylvania. He spent the next nine years at UPenn, guiding the volleyball team to four Ivy League titles and Big Five championships in 1984, ‘86 and ‘88. He then spent the next 33  years at the University of North Carolina, where he led his team to seven Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) titles.

Even though Sagula never continued teaching, he still considers himself an artist by pushing his team to be creative with their techniques and plays. “There’s a creative side to that, and I always felt that in coaching. I think I always tried to be creative, in coming up with solving problems, even if it’s using the skills I learned in design, in art, in composition and just in how I went about life. I felt like it was a part of me and a part of my volleyball.”

Sagula will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame in December.