Wise Named One Of Most Influential Women's Sports Coaches In SEC History
Monday, April 21, 2008 | Volleyball
The architect of 17-straight conference titles and more than 500 victories, University of Florida head volleyball coach Mary Wise was named one of the 10 most influential women's sports coaches or administrators in Southeastern Conference history on Sunday.
A pioneer with tremendous vision, passion and enthusiasm for the sport of volleyball, Wise is the only female coach to appear in more than one national semifinal, and she reached the 500-win plateau faster than any other Division I female coach. An 11-time winner of the SEC Coach of the Year award (1991-93, 1995-96, 1998-02, 2007), the Evanston, Ill., native has also been named the national coach of the year twice (1992, 1996) and is one of three coaches in the country to win the honor more than once since 1991.
Florida is one of only two schools in the nation to win more than 90 percent of its matches, and one of just three to record 500 wins, since 1991, while the Orange and Blue has averaged a final AVCA ranking of 7.41 since Wise took over – the nation's fifth-best mark. In 2007, the Gators' 29 victories extended the nation's longest streak of 25-win seasons to 17 in a row, and UF, which finished eighth in the final AVCA poll of the season, is one of just two schools in the nation to complete the season as a top-15 team in each of the last 17 campaigns.
On the forefront of increasing awareness and exposure for volleyball, Wise has ushered in a philosophy of innovation when it comes to rules changes and youth volleyball opportunities, and she is routinely regarded as one of the finest resources for coaching in collegiate volleyball. In the spring of 2008, Wise helped blaze another trail for the women's volleyball community, as she played an integral role in the organization of inaugural SEC Coaches Beach Volleyball Championships, which marked the first beach volleyball tournament held by an NCAA Division I conference.
Along the way, multiple players under Wise's tutelage have gone on to earn invitations to national teams and compile individual honors. In the summer of 2005, four Gators trained with the USA Women's Volleyball National Team - more than any other school in the country that year. A Florida player has earned the title of SEC Player of the Year in each of the last 13 seasons, including Angie McGinnis in 2006 and 2007, when she became the first setter in league history to claim the honor and one of just five players in league history to win the award on multiple occasions. Since Wise's arrival at UF, 21 different players have earned a sum of 49 All-America honors, including a record six combined honors by a trio of players in 2007.
With her emphasis on academics in addition to athletics, members of the Gator volleyball team under Wise have combined to earn 94 Academic All-SEC honors since 1991. In 2006, Florida sported a school-record 3.4 fall semester grade point average and 11 players on the team were named to either the SEC Academic Honor Roll or the Freshman Academic Honor Roll. Additionally, five UF players have combined to receive eight Academic All-America honors in Wise's career at Florida.
Under Wise, the Gators have also shown a commitment to playing an active role in community leadership and involvement. Each year members of the Gator volleyball team visit children at nearby Shands Hospital during the Thanksgiving holiday, while players also participate in the Goodwill Gators program. In 2003, Wise helped raise $7,500 for the Children's Miracle Network after more than 4,000 Gator fans packed the O'Connell Center for a match against South Carolina. She also organizes and operates the annual Mary Wise Scramble, a golf tournament that benefits PACE Alachua, which provides guidance to young girls who are experiencing conflict in school or at home.
Wise owns a 632-120 (.840) record in 21 seasons as a collegiate head coach, including a 551-57 (.906) mark in 17 years at Florida. She is the conference's all-time wins leader, having compiled 294 SEC victories, while no other coach in league history has reached the 200-win plateau.
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