Judy Green was named Head Coach of Birmingham-Southern College'svolleyball program on November 30, 2010.
Green came to the Hilltop after 15 years as Head Coach at theUniversity of Alabama, where she amassed a 237-234 record. Prior tothe 2010 season, she announced her retirement from the program.
At Alabama, Green's first recruiting class posted a 22-8 record asseniors en route to the program's first-ever SEC Western Divisiontitle in 2000. Her team won a second SEC West title in 2004, andsaw three consecutive NCAA Championship appearances, including theprogram's first in 2005, followed by berths in 2006 and 2007. In2008, Green collected her 600th career victory, ranking her 16thamong active coaches for all-time wins.
Green, a native of Lake Junaluska, N.C., is a 1984 WesternCarolina graduate, where she played volleyball, basketball, andsoftball, and is the only athlete, male or female, in WCU historyto earn 12 letters. She also received numerous honors during herplaying career. For volleyball, she was named First-TeamAll-Southern Conference, MVP of the 1983 Southern ConferenceTournament, and Southern Conference Volleyball Player of the Decadefor the 1980s. As a basketball player, she scored more than 1,000career points, and is still one of WCU's top-20 career scorers. Shewas a member of the team voted the Southern Conference BasketballTeam of the Decade for the 1980s. In softball, Green was an AIAWAll-American at shortstop and became the first femalestudent-athlete at WCU to be inducted into the Athletic Hall ofFame. She was also named Female Athlete of the Decade for the 1980sby Western Carolina.
After earning her bachelor's and Master's degrees in physicaleducation from Western Carolina, Green started her first coachingjob as an assistant volleyball coach with WCU during the 1984season. In 1985, she served as assistant coach for the softballteam and was also the women's cross country head coach.
In 1986, Green landed her first head coaching position at theUniversity of Montevallo, where she took the Falcons to 10 straightNAIA national tournament appearances, including a fourth-placefinish in 1988 and a fifth-place finish in 1994 with a 50-5record.
While at Montevallo, Green was named 1993 National Coach of theYear by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, and was alsonamed NAIA South Region Coach of the Year and Southeast RegionCoach of the Year during her tenure. She coached 26 NAIA/AVCAAll-Americans, 38 NAIA All-District players, 11 NAIA All-SoutheastRegion players, and eight NAIA District Player of the Year atMontevallo.
"I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to lead theBirmingham-Southern Volleyball program," Green said. "I want tothank Director of Athletics Joe Dean and Assistant Director ofAthletics Kyndall Waters for believing in my abilities both as aperson and as a coach to lead this incredible group of young women.It has been an incredible coaching journey for me throughout mycareer, and I am so excited to join the BSC Athletic family.
"Along with Coach Kyndall Waters, our goal for our program will beto help our student-athletes excel at the highest level in theclassroom, on the volleyball court, and in the Birminghamcommunity. I have always had great respect for the former coacheswho have led the Panther Volleyball program, and I look forward tobuilding on the foundation they have built and creating an evenhigher level of success. We certainly want to win SCACChampionships and compete on a national level.
"From a recruiting standpoint, Birmingham-Southern is one of themost prestigious academic institutions in the country," Greencontinued. "Not to mention that it boasts an incredibly beautifulcampus and outstanding state-of-the-art athletic facilities forDIII athletics. I believe BSC will be an easy sell to giftedstudent-athletes from all across the country. BSC is the completepackage."
Green is known as one of the best technical coaches in the nation,and she is well-respected by her colleagues around the country atevery level, who had these things to say about her:
"Judy has tremendous love for coaching. Her energy, knowledge, anddesire to help the student-athletes succeed at their highest levelwill be evident every day. The student-athletes, other athleticdepartment personnel, and entire BSC community will be enrichedwith Judy in their midst!"
-Sharon Dingman, Head Volleyball Coach, University of Iowa
"Judy Green is one of the finest coaches in the country. She is awinner in every respect. She has led the University of Alabama andUniversity of Montevallo to unparalleled success on the court andin the classroom. Judy is a proven recruiter with the ability totake her athletes to the next level. She is a leader, mentor andcoach who will lead the Birmingham-Southern volleyball program tonational prominence. We are extremely fortunate to have Judy joinDivision III women's volleyball."
Jenny McDowell, Head Volleyball Coach, Emory University
"Judy is an outstanding coach and person. She is a greatcompetitor. Coaching against her has always been a great challengeand has made for some outstanding matches. Judy seems to balance itall: she is a devoted professional, a fiery competitor, and acaring individual. She cares deeply about the student-athletes shecoaches. Not only does she mold them into great volleyball players,but she also helps them become better people. Judy will be a greataddition to the Birmingham-Southern staff."
Fran Flory, Head Volleyball Coach, Louisiana State
