Chad Gatzlaff returns to UC Santa Barbara after leaving the program for the last two seasons. Now, he steps into this role as the associate head coach where he will continue to build on the team's success from recent seasons.
Since his arrival UCSB has seen a four-time AVCA All-American in outside hitter Lindsey Ruddins, two all-region players, and 16 all-conference honors. Gatzlaff also helped coach Ruddins to a Big West Freshman of the Year award in 2016.
In 2019, Gatzlaff helped the Gauchos to one of their most impressive seasons in recent history posting a 23-6 record with a 12-4 conference mark. This feat was enough to earn the team a spot in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, where UCSB would head to Austin, Texas and earn its first tournament win in 15 years. The Gauchos defeated Texas State 3-1 in the first round before nearly upsetting host No. 2 Texas in five sets.
Gatzlaff arrived from Virginia Commonwealth University where he had been coaching since 2013.
He was integral in VCU's outstanding 2013 season that included a 26-8 mark and a berth in the Atlantic 10 Championship Match. Gatzlaff was part of a staff that developed the A-10 Player of the Year, as well as the league's Libero of the Year. VCU also ranked as high as 38th in the RPI during his time with the Rams, the highest in school history. In Gatzlaff’s time at VCU he helped coach twelve student athletes to A-10 Conference awards.
Before he joined the Rams' coaching staff, Gatzlaff was at the University of Indianapolis. He helped UIndy to its best postseason finish in school history, as the Greyhounds reached the final four of the 2012 NCAA Championships. The Greyhounds finished 31-8 for only the third 30-win season in school history. That year, he helped coach an AVCA First Team All-American and Midwest Region Player of the Year in Kristina Kerrigan and an AVCA Third-Team All-American setter in Meghan Binkerd.
In 2011, Gatzlaff was a volunteer assistant at St. Mary's (Minn.) where he helped the Cardinals to a 17-14 record. During his time in Winona, Minn., he was also the Winona Junior Olympics Program Director and 17s coach.
He started his coaching career with the men's club teams at Tennessee and Minnesota State, his alma mater. He was a four-year starter for the Minnesota State club team, including two years as All-Northern Intercollegiate Volleyball Conference as a middle blocker. The Mavericks recorded a pair of top 10 finishes at Club Nationals during his time on the court.
Gatzlaff earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Minnesota State in 2009 and Masters of Education in Sports Leadership from Virginia Commonwealth in 2015.
