This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Oklahoma City • Of all the eyes studying BYU women's volleyball coach Shawn Olmstead this postseason, perhaps none have been as observant as BYU men's volleyball coach Chris McGown.
In a sport dominated by elder statesmen like Penn State's Russ Rose, Texas' Jerritt Elliott and Stanford's John Dunning, Olmstead and McGown are, by comparison, young pups. And as the spotlight's glare has grown hotter, McGown wondered whether Olmstead might melt, bringing his team down with him.
"It shouldn't surprise me," says McGown, "but to some degree, I've been really impressed by how collected Coach Olmstead's players have seemed, how poised. And just how much fun they seem to be having through all this."
At volleyball Final Fours, more than a few coaches don the demeanor of platoon sergeants leading troops to battle. Too often, athletes become withdrawn and tense. When the match begins, they are hesitant. They think more than they play. It is, of course, a recipe for failure.
But throughout the tournament, Olmstead attended press briefings wearing baggy shorts, a trucker's cap and a smile. His sometimes reticent star hitters, Jen Hamson and Alexa Gray, offered longer and wittier answers than usual. Olmstead, it seemed, didn't demand that his players get serious.
"You know, that isn't them," says McGown. "The majority of girls on that team are like Amy Boswell, doing funny dances after she gets a stuff. They thrive in an environment that doesn't have this warrior mentality.
"Credit to Shawn for getting a feel for who these kids are."