Photo Gallery

HONOLULU – Charlie Wade has been selected as the University of Hawai'i's new head men's volleyball coach, athletics director Jim Donovan announced Friday at a press conference in the Ed Wong Hospitality Room. Wade is the program's fifth head coach and succeeds Mike Wilton, who guided the Warriors for the past 17 seasons.

“I'm pleased to announce Charlie Wade as our new men's volleyball head coach,” Donovan said. “He had an outstanding in-person interview and impressed the selection committee with his passion for volleyball and love for the state of Hawai'i. He is a proven recruiter who was instrumental in the tremendous success of our women's volleyball program during his time with head coach Dave Shoji. We are starting a new chapter in our men's volleyball program and we welcome Charlie back to the UH Athletics 'ohana.”

“This is a great day for me personally and professionally,” Wade said. “I'm excited and honored for the opportunity to lead one of the premiere programs in our sport. I'm very thankful to Jim and the committee for the confidence in me to take on this challenge. I'm a little saddened to leave my team at Pacific but very proud of the progress we made returning Pacific to one of the elite teams in the Big West. When I came to Hawai'i in 1995 to work with Dave it didn't take long for me to notice I wanted to coach here and bring UH the elusive national championship the fans so deeply deserve. Coaching men's volleyball in Hawai'i gives me the opportunity to do just that.”

Wade, a former UH women's volleyball assistant from 1995-2005, was most recently the head women's volleyball coach at University of the Pacific. He compiled a 38-46 record in three seasons. His teams improved 10 wins from his inaugural season to finish with an 18-9 record in 2007. That year, his squad won three tournament titles and defeated 20^th-ranked Cal Poly.

In the summer of 2007, Wade coached the USA Volleyball Federation Senior Select Team which toured Argentina.

Wade spent 11 seasons with the Rainbow Wahine (1995-2005), the last nine of which were spent as head coach Dave Shoji's right-hand man. During his time at UH, the Rainbow Wahine won 11 conference titles, advanced to the NCAA Regionals 10 times, and made four NCAA Championship appearances. UH posted a remarkable 160-1 conference mark and an overall record of 310-39 for an 89 percent winning percentage.

In post-season competition, Wade helped guide the Rainbow Wahine to 11 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, six Regional Finals (1995, '96, '98, 2000, '02, '03), and four Final Fours (1996, 2000, '02, '03), including the national championship match in 1996. As the

program's primary recruiter, Wade coached eight All-Americans, who earned 18 All-America certificates and two National Players of the Year (Angelica Ljungquist in 1996 and Kim Willoughby in 2003).

In addition, Wade served as head coach three times in Shoji's absence and the Rainbow Wahine won all three matches.

Prior to UH, Wade was a veteran coach of club volleyball. In 1986, he founded the Magnum Volleyball Club, which was regarded by many collegiate coaches as one of the top junior programs in the country. He also served as head coach of the Anaheim, Calif., club and coached eventual Rainbow Wahine standouts Kristal Attwood, Kee Williams, Sarah Chase, Heather Bown and Jessica Sudduth and former UOP standout Tracy Chambers.

Wade also founded the Southern California Volleyball Institute in 1993 and served as its executive director. The 17,000-square foot volleyball training facility featured four courts, offices, weight and training rooms and a pro shop.

During his first five years at UH, Wade also coached the Rainbow Asics club team, which featured Rainbow Wahine All-American Lily Kahumoku and former Minnesota setter and current U.S. Olympian Lindsey Berg.

Wade's first stint in collegiate coaching was at Cal State Fullerton, where he was an assistant for two years while finishing school. He earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology in 1991.

Wade is married to former University of Washington player Tani Martin. The couple have two children, Makana (4) and Kainoa (2).

 

Cal State Fullerton, Assistant Coach, 1987-88

Magnum Volleyball Club, 1986-1995

Southern California Volleyball Institute, 1993-1995

Hawai'i, Assistant Coach, 1995-1997

Hawai'i, Associate Coach, 1998-2005

Pacific, Head Coach, 2006-08

USA Volleyball Federation Senior Select Team, 2007

 

1995                    31           1         .969        Assistant Coach          NCAA Regional Finals

1996                    35           3         .921        Assistant Coach          NCAA Runner-Up

1997                    25           8         .758        Associate Coach         NCAA First Round

1998                    32           3         .914        Associate Coach         NCAA Regional Finals

1999                    29           2         .935        Associate Coach         NCAA Regional Semifinals

2000                    31           2         .939        Associate Coach         NCAA Championship Semifinals

2001                    29           6         .829        Associate Coach         NCAA Regional Semifinals

2002                    34           2         .944        Associate Coach         NCAA Championship Semifinals

2003                    36           2         .947        Associate Coach         NCAA Championship Semifinals

2004                    30           1         .968        Associate Coach         NCAA Regional Semifinals

2005                    27           7         .794        Associate Coach         NCAA Regional Semifinals

 

2006                      8         21         .276        Head Coach                 First season at UOP

2007                    18           9         .667        Head Coach                 Won three tournament titles

2008                    12         16         .429        Head Coach                 Finished 4^th in Big West