Bob Bertucci
| Title: | Head Coach
Please send recruiting correspondence to lehighvolleyball@lehigh.edu |
| Email: | rob211@lehigh.edu |
| Phone: | 610-758-6111 |
Bob Bertucci enters his second year at the helm for Lehigh after having a successful first season. Bertucci led the Mountain Hawks to a 19-10 record including 10-4 in the Patriot League as the Mountain Hawks earned the No. 3 seed in the PL Tournament. It was the first time Lehigh was the No. 3 seed since 2003 and its second berth in three years.
It was a historic 2011 season as Lehigh finished the season ranked No. 4 in the nation in aces per set (1.84). During league play, the Mountain Hawks defeated eventual Patriot League Champion American 3-0 which handed the Eagles its lone loss in league play. It was Lehigh’s third all-time win against American in 27 matches as the Mountain Hawks also gave American its first-ever three-set loss in a regular season match since American joined the Patriot League in 2001.
Along with a season sweep of Lafayette, Lehigh swept Bucknell for the first time since 2002 and defeated Colgate for the first time since 2004.
Bertucci brings a wealth of coaching experience to Bethlehem, having manned the sidelines for 32 years, including the last 16 seasons as the head coach at Temple.
During his time at Temple, Bertucci guided the Owls to four Atlantic 10 championships and four subsequent NCAA tournament berths, with his 2002 squad reaching the Sweet Sixteen. A three-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, Bertucci led Temple to 14 straight Atlantic 10 tournaments and won three straight A-10 East Division crowns from 2005-2007.
In 16 seasons at Temple, Bertucci’s teams won 20 more matches nine times. He collected 315 victories during that time, making Bertucci the program’s career leader in wins.
Bertucci boasts an impressive career record of 667-383, which includes an eight year stint as head coach at the University of Tennessee (1979-86) where he led the Lady Vols to four NCAA appearances and three Southeastern Conference titles. He was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1984.
Following his time at Tennessee, Bertucci took over both the men’s and women’s programs at Rutgers-Newark. His women’s squad won to New Jersey Athletic Conference titles and compiled a 105-66 record in seven seasons. Bertucci led the Rutgers-Newark men’s team to the Division I Final Four in 1990 after winning the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association title. Bertucci was named EIVA Coach of the Year on three occasions.
Bertucci’s first head coaching job was at Army, where he founded the women’s volleyball program in 1978. He guided the women’s team to an AIAW district championship in his first season and as was named the Eastern Collegiate Volleyball League Coach of the Year.
In addition to his college head coaching experience, Bertucci was heavily involved on several levels with USA Volleyball, including eight years on the coaching staff of the women’s national team. Bertucci was an assistant coach for the USA women’s team at the 1999 World University Games and a head coach for that team in 1985. He also spent three years on the Board of Directors for the United States Volleyball Association.
Beyond his direct coaching experience, Bertucci directs numerous camps for both players and coaches. He has produced nine teaching videos and has written six volleyball books, while currently working on his seventh.
In the last three years, Bertucci has been inducted into the YMCA Volleyball Hall of Fame and the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame.
A native of Staten Island, N.Y., Bertucci earned his bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Springfield College in 1974 where he was team captain and a two-time team MVP. He earned his MBA from Long Island University in 1980, and worked in the education field for two years as an adaptive physical education specialist in New York City.
Bertucci and his wife, former Temple volleyball player Tina Kogut, have five children.