Leonid Yelin brings championship experience to the Syracuse program.
Championship Coach Will Lead Orange Volleyball Program
12/27/2011 5:56:38 PM | Volleyball
A proven winner at all levels, Leonid Yelin is the sixth head coach in Syracuse University volleyball history. Yelin led the University of Louisville to 14 NCAA Tournaments, including four NCAA Regional semifinals from 1996 through 2010. He joins Syracuse after serving as an assistant coach at Colorado in 2011.
“Coach Yelin brings world class experience and success to Syracuse,” said Syracuse University Director of Athletics Dr. Daryl Gross. “Syracuse volleyball will have the opportunity to compete for national honors under his leadership. Coach Yelin's national success speaks impressively for itself. He is the perfect coach to join our distinguished group of head coaches at Syracuse University. We look forward to the success of SU women's volleyball.”
The longtime Louisville head coach brings more 30 years of experience to Syracuse, including international experience as both a player and a coach in Uzbekistan. Yelin built the Louisville program into a perennial national power in his 15 seasons, posting a record of 366-112. His .763 winning percentage ranks in the Top 10 nationally for active head coaches. He had 11 seasons with 20 or more wins and two seasons with 30 or more victories. In 2004, he earned the AVCA All-Midwest Region Coach of the Year award and was also recognized as the Conference USA Coach of the Decade the same year. Yelin mentored seven All-Americans, including six who played for their national teams and 12 student-athletes who played professionally.
“Syracuse is a great academic school with an outstanding athletics reputation,” Yelin said. “As a coach I find the best system to get the most out of the team and the student-athletes. I will do that at Syracuse. I have been involved with the sports of volleyball since I was 17, as a player and a coach and have coached at every level. My entire family is a volleyball family. The sport is everything to me.”
“Leonid has always set high expectations for his team, his staff and himself,” said Syracuse University Deputy Athletics Director Dr. Renee Baumgartner. “His record proves that he will graduate his student-athletes, help them reach their academic and athletic potential, compete for championships and each and every student-athlete will have an experience of a lifetime."
Yelin began his intercollegiate coaching career at Barry University in 1991. He led the Buccaneers to the 1995 Division II National Championship en route to earning NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year honors. In 1994, Yelin was named the AVCA Division II South Region Coach of the Year after taking Barry to its first NCAA tournament, where the Buccaneers advanced to the Elite Eight.
“I'm confident that Leonid will jump start the Syracuse program and lead them in the fashion that he has at Louisville and Barry University,” said Penn State head coach Russ Rose. “I would expect them to compete for championships in their new conference affiliation.”
Before his NCAA coaching experience, Yelin was a successful player and coach in Uzbekistan. He played for the Republic of Uzbekistan men's team from 1970-75 and then started his coaching career as the head coach for the Uzbekistan junior (U-18) team. Yelin was named the head coach of the national Uzbekistan women's team in 1977, leading that team the 1977 and 1981 U-18 national championships and the 1978 USSR Women's World Cup title. He was the head coach of the Ukraine women's professional team from 1983-87. Yelin was the head coach of the 1988 and 1989 Uzbekistan men's national championship professional teams.
"Leonid has had great success with each team he has led. No doubt he will do the same at Syracuse and take that volleyball program to new heights," said University of Florida head coach Mary Wise.
Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Yelin earned his equivalent of a master's diploma in physical education and sport training from the Uzbekistan Government Institute of Physical Culture and Sport. His wife, Yelena, was a member of the Republic of Uzbekistan's Women's National Team from 1973-86 and was a member of the USSR Olympic team from 1975-78, during which she was a two-time European Champion. The couple has two grown children, Eleonora and Boris.
“Coach Yelin brings world class experience and success to Syracuse,” said Syracuse University Director of Athletics Dr. Daryl Gross. “Syracuse volleyball will have the opportunity to compete for national honors under his leadership. Coach Yelin's national success speaks impressively for itself. He is the perfect coach to join our distinguished group of head coaches at Syracuse University. We look forward to the success of SU women's volleyball.”
The longtime Louisville head coach brings more 30 years of experience to Syracuse, including international experience as both a player and a coach in Uzbekistan. Yelin built the Louisville program into a perennial national power in his 15 seasons, posting a record of 366-112. His .763 winning percentage ranks in the Top 10 nationally for active head coaches. He had 11 seasons with 20 or more wins and two seasons with 30 or more victories. In 2004, he earned the AVCA All-Midwest Region Coach of the Year award and was also recognized as the Conference USA Coach of the Decade the same year. Yelin mentored seven All-Americans, including six who played for their national teams and 12 student-athletes who played professionally.
“Syracuse is a great academic school with an outstanding athletics reputation,” Yelin said. “As a coach I find the best system to get the most out of the team and the student-athletes. I will do that at Syracuse. I have been involved with the sports of volleyball since I was 17, as a player and a coach and have coached at every level. My entire family is a volleyball family. The sport is everything to me.”
“Leonid has always set high expectations for his team, his staff and himself,” said Syracuse University Deputy Athletics Director Dr. Renee Baumgartner. “His record proves that he will graduate his student-athletes, help them reach their academic and athletic potential, compete for championships and each and every student-athlete will have an experience of a lifetime."
Yelin began his intercollegiate coaching career at Barry University in 1991. He led the Buccaneers to the 1995 Division II National Championship en route to earning NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year honors. In 1994, Yelin was named the AVCA Division II South Region Coach of the Year after taking Barry to its first NCAA tournament, where the Buccaneers advanced to the Elite Eight.
“I'm confident that Leonid will jump start the Syracuse program and lead them in the fashion that he has at Louisville and Barry University,” said Penn State head coach Russ Rose. “I would expect them to compete for championships in their new conference affiliation.”
Before his NCAA coaching experience, Yelin was a successful player and coach in Uzbekistan. He played for the Republic of Uzbekistan men's team from 1970-75 and then started his coaching career as the head coach for the Uzbekistan junior (U-18) team. Yelin was named the head coach of the national Uzbekistan women's team in 1977, leading that team the 1977 and 1981 U-18 national championships and the 1978 USSR Women's World Cup title. He was the head coach of the Ukraine women's professional team from 1983-87. Yelin was the head coach of the 1988 and 1989 Uzbekistan men's national championship professional teams.
"Leonid has had great success with each team he has led. No doubt he will do the same at Syracuse and take that volleyball program to new heights," said University of Florida head coach Mary Wise.
Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Yelin earned his equivalent of a master's diploma in physical education and sport training from the Uzbekistan Government Institute of Physical Culture and Sport. His wife, Yelena, was a member of the Republic of Uzbekistan's Women's National Team from 1973-86 and was a member of the USSR Olympic team from 1975-78, during which she was a two-time European Champion. The couple has two grown children, Eleonora and Boris.
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