The Coaches Group Chat
Grab a drink and a seat at the table with hosts Matt Houlihan, Arielle Houlihan and Chad Gordon as we chat about the world of volleyball, coaching, business, and whatever else Arielle feels like!
Episodes
40 episodes
S4E13: May Madness, Touch-Gate, Final Four Predictions
The NCAA men’s volleyball tournament delivers a chaos filled quarterfinal weekend where matches swing on stoppages, challenges, and pure nerve. We break down the biggest replay controversies, talk about how momentum collapses after an overturne...
S4E12: Bracket Challenge, Big West is More Entertaining Than MPSF, Milan Mania
We lock in our NCAA men’s volleyball tournament predictions and argue where the real upset windows are hiding, especially around UC Irvine’s ability to turn a match with serving pressure. Then we zoom out to the sport itself, from Big West ente...
S4E11: Conference Tournaments, Pacific Gives, D-Ops
We run the full men’s volleyball playoff gauntlet, from the NEC and EIVA through the MIVA, MPSF, and Big West, then put real picks on the table for who wins and who sweats the bubble. Along the way we get into bracket expansion math, Pacific Gi...
S4E10: Jordan Lucas, UC Merced, and LOVB Finals
We react to the Jordan Lucas broadcast clip that set off a viral storm in men’s volleyball and use it to talk about how inclusion actually shows up in sports culture. We also pivot to UC Merced’s packed gym, LOVB’s golden set playoff format, an...
S4E9: Volleyball Day In The Bay, Are "Yeller" Coaches Done For?
Volleyball Day in the Bay becomes less about a single match and more about building a real Bay Area volleyball tradition around Stanford men’s volleyball. We unpack what worked, what fell flat, and how coaching intensity changes when trust and ...
S4E8: Volleyball Antagonists, Mid Season All-Americans, Message to Younger Volleyball Self
We argue about men’s volleyball “antagonists” and end up in a real debate about what turns casual fans on or off, from missed serves to confusing calls and commentary. Then we shift into mid-season player picks, youth club culture, and the hard...
S4E7: Hecklers, Banners, And Volleyball Day in the Bay
We swap our favorite heckling stories, then shift to a thoughtful case for reinstating Hawaii’s vacated 2002 title before rallying the Bay Area for a massive volleyball day push. Humor, history, and a concrete plan to pack the stands drive the ...
S4E6: Chair Etiquette, NCAA Rule Changes, Setter Dunks
We kick off with a viral chair-etiquette debate, then push into real fixes: retire work teams with smarter tech, clarify NCAA rule changes, and make the case to let setters dunk with two hands. Along the way we argue for consistent officiating,...
S4E5: All-Puerto Rico Team, Volleyball Fumbled the Gays, Middles Obsolete?
Super Bowl week turned San Francisco into a branded maze and sparked a bigger talk about how events shape cities and attention. We celebrate Puerto Rican volleyball legends, question why volleyball hasn’t captured LGBTQ fandom like hockey has, ...
S3E4: Euro Talent, Hawai'i Insider, Building a Program From Scratch
We argue whether the surge of European players lifts the NCAA at the expense of USA Volleyball, then turn to how culture and community create lasting power. Devin Young’s hire at Pacific sparks a blueprint for rebuilding fast with Europe, the p...
S4E2: Matt at Stanford, Daniel's Conspiracies, Volleyball Fyre Fest
Matt shares a short-term leap onto the Stanford bench, how it reshapes his voice and time, and why serving the team takes priority over hot takes. We also unpack the canceled Honda Center NIL event, question rankings logic, and preview Stanford...
S4E1: The 2026 Prediction Episode
We trade life updates for bold calls, then break down who wins men’s college volleyball and why. Awards, freshmen to watch, coaching philosophies, officiating shifts, and the growth of the sport all get a clear, candid look.• Title pick...
University of the Pacific Men’s Volleyball Returns
The headline is big, but the backstory is bigger: Pacific is bringing back men’s volleyball, and we walk through how it actually happened—step by step, meeting by meeting, and milestone by milestone. From the first conversations with President ...
S3E2: Volleyball Rehab, Death to #GrowTheGame, & Mid-Major Tournaments
We recap a whirlwind women’s volleyball weekend, break down Stanford vs Louisville with real tactical detail, and lay out a case for mandatory mid-major conference tournaments. We also explain how Bay to Bay chartered flights to save families m...
S3E1: NCAA Women's Volleyball Vibe Check
We return with a pop-up episode to track the surge in women’s volleyball—national TV windows, marquee kickoff events, and a top tier led by Nebraska and Texas—while naming sleepers that no one wants in a Sweet 16 draw. We also break down Milan’...
S2E14: Natty Champs Recap, Long Beach Culture, Too Early Predictions
Long Beach State secures another national championship with a commanding sweep over UCLA, showcasing their unparalleled team culture and championship mentality. Their "blue collar" approach and ride-or-die brotherhood has created a volleyball p...
S2E13: Grand Canyon Cuts Men's Volleyball, NCAA Bracketology, VNL Roster Predictions
Grand Canyon University has abruptly cut their men's volleyball program, effective immediately, with no advance warning to coaches or players, sending shockwaves through the volleyball community. We explore what this means for the future of men...
S2E12: Long Beach v. Hawaii, USC Injuries, Volleyball Tariffs
Arielle, Chad, and Matt dive into a lively discussion of recent collegiate men's volleyball action and debate the future of the game.• Hawaii splits with Long Beach State• USC battles significant injuries to key players, creating st...
S2E11: Weekend Upsets, Foreign Roster Caps, Long Beach v. Hawaii, KBB to LOVB
The NCAA's back-to-back scheduling format deflates the impact of big upsets by forcing immediate rematches, preventing storylines from developing and limiting media coverage opportunities.• The weekend featured multiple top-5 upsets inc...
S2E10: Long Beach v. Irvine, Peeps, and Adolescence
We dive into men's collegiate volleyball rankings and break down the implications of Long Beach State's split with UC Irvine in what was a high-level volleyball showcase with sold-out crowds.• Clear separation exists between the "top fi...
S2E9: We're back baby, Traitors Poll, Replay Systems, Collegiate Drama
We make our triumphant return for Season 3 (it's actually season 2 episode 9 but it's been forever since our last episode), putting to rest any rumors about internal fighting while offering sincere apologies for the technical difficulties that ...
S2E8: MVB Beer Olympics, Boycott the AVCA Rankings, Matt's NSFW Social Media
Our latest episode dives into the humorous and competitive world of Fantasy MVB Beer Olympics! We discuss team selection, strategies, and what it means to build a cohesive unit ready to take on the challenge. • Introduction of our ...
S2E7: All-American Dream Teams, High School Rule Shake-Ups, and Summer Schedule
We are putting the AMERICA into our All-American team while discussing the scarcity of top-tier American rosters in college volleyball today. We highlighted key American players, examined high school volleyball rule changes, and ultimately cele...
S2E6: Rankings Debate, UCLA vs. Long Beach Recap, and College Volleyball's "Wild West" Era
Our latest episode dives into the fluctuating AVCA rankings, addressing issues surrounding team standings and the perceived favoritism affecting teams like Hawaii and UCLA. The discussion includes insights on weekend matches, reflections on coa...
S2E5: Babies on Benches, Spring Tryouts, Moni Nikolov vs. Harper Murray
A transformative week in volleyball sees the introduction of the Baby on Benches Rule, allowing coaches to bring their babies onto benches during matches. We discuss the impact of this change, alongside John Cook's retirement, spring tryouts ex...