I think a combination of history and business lessons is the best way to describe [amazon text=From the Ashes:The Rise of the University of Washington Volleyball Program&asin=B0049B2BSA], by Frank Zaccari. Basically, it’s the story of the UW team from just before Jim McLaughlin took over up until 2010 (though there’s a reference at the end to the Final 4 in Seattle in 2013). That’s the end of Bill Neville’s tenure, when the program was struggling, through multiple Final 4s and a national championship.
The author is a business turnaround expert. He took charge of the volleyball program’s booster club at the start of McLaughlin’s tenure. This is despite not having any real prior connection to the university. I think his path there is interesting.
Anyway, the chapters of the book are framed in the context of “Turn-Around Rules”. Each chapter encompasses a certain rule. That said, they are pretty chronological as well. So what you end up with is the explanation of the application of a given rule via the story of a given season or period.
I have a business background and enjoy volleyball history, so I found the book and interesting read – though it’s quite short at only 2 hours or so. It’s definitely not a coaching book. Don’t look for many insights from McLaughlin from that point of view. For college and university coaches, however, there’s a good amount of useful material that relates to your work. I can see its usefulness for high school coaches and club directors as well.
By the way, if you’re interested in the more business/management side of things. check out Stop Competing and Start Winning.
