Cathy George Position: Head Coach Experience: MSU: Fifth; All: 22 Alma Mater: Illinois State, 1985

Before arriving at Michigan State, Cathy George had already established herself as one of the more well-respected coaches in the nation. But after just four seasons in the Big Ten Conference, George has quickly developed a name for herself and has helped Michigan State return among the elite programs in the Big Ten Conference. Now in her fifth season at the helm of the MSU program, George has her eyes set on establishing MSU volleyball as one of the top teams in the conference on a yearly basis. With one of the youngest teams in the nation last season, George had the team in a hunt for its third-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and coached Vanessa King to the All-Big Ten First Team and Natalie Emro to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team.

After guiding MSU to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in just her third season at the helm of the Spartan program in 2007, George has quickly led the Green and White back to its place as a nationally-prominent program. Coming off of a 2007 season which saw the Spartans earn a 21-14 overall record, a fifth-place finish in the Big Ten and a trip to the Regional Semifinals, George had arguably her best season two years ago. The 2007 Spartans entered postseason play in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2002 and 2003. But with a senior-laden team in 2007, George and the Spartans knew that 2008 would be a transition year. After losing 64-percent of their total offense from 2007, George was able to bring in the No. 7 recruiting class in - the best MSU history - to help shoulder some of the burden and void left by the graduating class.

That recruiting class helped George compile a 15-16 overall record in one of the most competitive conferences in the nation, despite playing five freshman at a time for most of the season. It was clear that although the record did not reflect it, George may have had one of her finest years as a collegiate coach in 2008, setting the stage for what should be an exciting year in 2009.

George spent the spring of 2008 coaching the USA A2 Red team to the USA Adult Open Championship. The USA A2 Red Team topped the University of Washington's Huskies VBC team, 3-1, in Atlanta. George and University of Texas head coach Jerritt Elliott, the A2 Blue coach, conducted training of 20 selected collegiate student-athletes before the championships and split the student-athletes into two teams for competition. George's A2 Red Team took home the gold, while the Blue team finished with the bronze. This was George's second stint with USA Volleyball as she was an assistant coach for the US team at the 1999 World University Games.

George was hired as the fifth coach in the history of Michigan State volleyball in December of 2004 and ranks as one of the 50 winningest coaches in NCAA Division I volleyball history (total wins). In addition, George ranks among the top 80 coaches all-time with a career .608 winning percentage. George has earned conference coach of the year honors in every league in which she has coached before joining the MSU staff and the Big Ten Conference.

Prior to her hiring at Michigan State, George spent 11 years guiding the Western Michigan program, where she compiled a 187-131 record. Taking over the reigns at WMU prior to the 1994 season, George's Broncos qualified for eight NCAA Tournament appearances under her direction. George reached eight consecutive MAC Tournaments beginning with the 1997 campaign, and her Bronco squad made back-to-back MAC Tournament title match appearances in 1999 and 2000, capturing the title in 2000.

While at WMU, George's players earned all-conference and national honors while enjoying academic success. George reached the 300-win mark in 2000, and was named the MAC Coach of the Year that same season after guiding the Broncos to the MAC title. She has also gained international experience as an assistant coach for the 1999 U.S. Team in the World University Games, held in Mallorca, Spain.

Sixteen players earned academic all-conference honors during her time at Western Michigan, while four players were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team. In 10 years, her teams consistently posted grade-point averages better than 3.00 and had a 100-percent graduation rate.

On the court, George recruited high-caliber student-athletes, as three WMU players trained with various U.S. national teams. In 1999, two players were honored with the chance to compete with the Pan Am Games Training Team, while another Bronco was selected to the 2001 U.S. National A2 team. Western Michigan's success under George led to increased attendance, as the Broncos led the MAC in total attendance in eight of her 11 seasons. She also worked to reinstate the Bronco Spikers' Club, which takes part in activities involving the team throughout the year, including pre-match chalk talks, tailgates and post-match wrap-ups.

Prior to her arrival at Western Michigan, George was the head coach at Texas-Arlington from 1989-1993. She led UTA to the 1989 and 1990 NCAA Tournaments, with a school-record third-place national finish in 1989.

While at Texas-Arlington, George became the first woman to coach in the NCAA Division I Final Four (1989) and she earned Southland Conference Coach of the Year honors three times (1989, 1990, `92) as she posted a record of 93-74 in her five seasons. George's teams won Southland Conference titles in 1989, 1990 and 1992, were 37-4 in conference play (.902) and finished with a 10-2 record in postseason competition during her tenure.

George got her start as a collegiate coach at North Dakota State in 1987-88, leading the Bison to an 87-11 (.888) record in her first two seasons. In 1987, NDSU posted a 44-8 mark en route to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Division II Championships in her first season as a head coach. She was named North Central Conference and regional coach of the year in both 1987 and 1988 and earned NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year honors in 1988. Also in 1988, George led the Bison to a 43-3 mark and a third-place national finish.

A 1985 graduate of Illinois State, George helped the Redbirds win three consecutive Missouri Valley Conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. A team captain and crafty outside attacker, she was a three-time All-MVC selection and earned all-region honors.

George, who earned her master's degree in education from Central Michigan in 1987, and her husband Jerry reside in Okemos, Mich., with their two sons, T.J., 17, and Conner, 12.