Utah Athletics Announces Beth Launiere Endowed Volleyball Head Coach Fund

SALT LAKE CITY – The University of Utah Volleyball program has received a donation of $1M to establish the Beth Launiere Endowed Volleyball Head Coach, the first Head Coach endowment among Utah's athletics programs. The endowment is named in honor of head coach Beth Launiere, now in her 32nd year leading the Utes' program.
 
The lead donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has committed the gift to support the mission and values of the University of Utah Volleyball program by creating a permanent endowment to recognize and promote excellence in coaching. Supporters may donate to the fund by clicking here. The gift was announced today by Director of Athletics Mark Harlan at the Utes' final regular season match, against Colorado, at the Huntsman Center.
 
"This generous gift speaks to the legacy that Beth Launiere continues to establish here at Utah and the tremendous impact she has made on so many women who have come through our volleyball program," Harlan said. "We are so grateful for this first head coaching endowment gift, and I could not be happier that the donor chose to honor Beth in perpetuity in this manner. I encourage our great supporters to contribute to this fund so that it will grow and allow our volleyball program to be enhanced by this gift on an annual basis. My hope and intention is to see more of our head coach positions endowed in the coming years."
 
Launiere has built Utah Volleyball into a perennial Top 20 program over the course of her career and is preparing for the team's sixth consecutive invitation to the NCAA tournament. The 2019 Pac-12 Coach of the Year, Launiere has a career record of 621-383 at Utah entering today's regular season finale against Colorado.
 
"Words cannot express how grateful I am for this endowment to the Utah Volleyball Program," Launiere said. "This gift by an incredibly generous donor will have an amazing impact on both current and future generations of Ute players. This support will be instrumental in continuing the success of this program that we have built during my tenure as Head Coach at Utah. I am both humbled and honored to have my name associated with this endowment."
 
Launiere has led the Utes to four Sweet Sixteen appearances and 17 trips to the postseason tournament through the 2020 season, and earned four AVCA West Region Coach of the Year honors (2001, '06, '08, '19). A bestselling author, Launiere's book, "Stop Competing and Start Winning: The Business of Coaching," was published in 2020.