SAN DIEGO – San Diego State volleyball head coach Brent Hilliard served up a proverbial ace with his first staff addition after hiring the legendary Steve Timmons as an assistant coach.
The first American male to win three Olympic medals in indoor volleyball, Timmons has worked as an elite coach since 2013 with Wave Volleyball Club based in nearby Del Mar, one of the most prestigious volleyball clubs in the country.
"It is with great pleasure that I can introduce Steve Timmons as the next member of the SDSU volleyball staff," Hilliard said. "Steve is one of the most decorated players of all time and will earn the respect of any student-athlete wanting to play for an elite program moving forward into their collegiate careers.
"I am extremely fortunate to add an extraordinary coach like Steve who affords me the luxury of knowing there is someone on staff whose knowledge of the game is on par with a select few. He is ready to make the move from elite club coach to Aztec volleyball leader."
One of the sport's most potent hitters, Timmons first made his impact as a three-year letterman at the University of Southern California (1980-82), where he helped the Trojans capture the 1980 NCAA Championship, earning all-tournament honors in the process. He also garnered first-team all-conference accolades to go with All-America distinction in 1982.
Timmons quickly rose to international stardom, winning gold medals for the U.S. team at the Summer Olympics 1984 and 1988 to go with a bronze in 1992. He collected MVP honors for the 1984 Games, and in 1988 he was named the U.S. Olympic Committee's Male Volleyball Player of the Year. That same year, he was voted the Federation of International Volleyball's Best Blocker and received MVP recognition at the World Super Four Tournament.
Not to be outdone, Timmons led the U.S. team to gold medals at the 1985 World Cup and 1986 World Championships, helping the Americans complete the first "Triple Crown" in volleyball following their triumph at the 1984 Olympics.
In 1985, Timmons co-founded Redsand Beachwear, an action sports clothing and lifestyle brand, serving as president before selling the company in 2006. He also played on the AVP Pro Beach circuit from 1989-93.
Timmons was selected to USA Volleyball's 75th anniversary All-Era team in 2003 and was ranked No. 8 on Volleyball magazine's "35 Best U.S. Players of All Time" list in 2012. In addition, he was named to the inaugural class of the Southern California Indoor Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2017.
Previously, Timmons was inducted into the U.S. Volleyball Association and International Volleyball Halls of Fame in 1998 while landing a spot on Volleyball magazine's all-time American Indoors first team. Additionally, he was enshrined in the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame in 1990 and the California Community College Hall of Fame in 1998 for his basketball and volleyball prowess at Orange Coast College.