COACH OF THE YEAR RUNNER-UP: New Regime Boosts Harvard to Playoffs

Coach Brian Baise watches every Harvard men’s volleyball game from his courtside seat with a cool demeanor, rarely showing emotion at any moment in the game.

But underneath this collected appearance is a volleyball mastermind hard at work, analyzing every intricate detail of the match from player matchups to defensive strategy.

In just his first season as the head coach of the Crimson, Baise has brought a renewed sense of enthusiasm and commitment to the program.

And though Baise used players recruited by his predecessor, he had no problem convincing these athletes to buy into his system.

“I’ve had three coaches in the last four years, and Coach Baise really came in as a new coach really wanting to be in this for the long run and establish a strong program, which was something that we’ve been missing,” co-captain Brady Weissbourd said. “He’s extremely organized and dedicated.”

Baise brought his coaching expertise from Berkeley, where he successfully led the Cal club team to the quarterfinals of the 2000 National Intramural Recreational Sports Association Championships.

Additionally, Baise played his college ball at Princeton, where he realized that excellence in both academics and athletics is possible.

“Going through that program helped me understand what was needed to coach at a school like Harvard,” Baise said. “Those experiences were my foundations as a coach.”

Seemingly the perfect fit for the Crimson, Baise got down to business with his players from the very first practice, emphasizing that hard work would be the key to success.

As the soft-spoken coach demonstrated a firm commitment to the achievements of his players both on and off the court, his advice began to resonate with them.

“[Coach Baise] emphasized that the only way to get better is to push yourself and make yourself better,” Weissbourd said. “It’s not going to happen naturally; without everyone focusing on making themselves better, you’re not going to make the team better.”

Despite lacking enough players to form two scrimmage squads during practice, Baise still managed to create intense sessions for his players to emphasize his doctrine.

“To go through an entire year without having a single scrimmage is extremely difficult,” Baise said. “Practices need to have some real competition and momentum. You have to practice the intensity level of games.”

“He made every practice challenging and as competitive as possible,” Weissbourd added.

The hard work put into the season by both coach and players paid off, as Harvard earned a share of the EIVA Hay Division title, going 6-2 in conference play while defeating league foes East Stroudsburg, NYU, and Rutgers-Newark along the way. Topping it all off for the turnaround effort was the Crimson’s first appearance in the playoffs since the 2004-05 season.

Without a doubt, Baise has made an instant impact on the volleyball program. If his first-season success proves to be any indication of just how much Baise can achieve as a coach, it could be only a matter of time before Harvard solidifies its status as one of the premier programs in the league.

—Staff writer Kevin T. Chen can be reached at ktchen@fas.harvard.edu.