Rod Wilde

Rod Wilde, an NCAA champion as both a player and coach, has just completed his seventh season as an assistant coach at Wisconsin.

Wilde, 50, was an alternate for the United States volleyball team that won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics. He broke his leg in match against Russia just six weeks before the games. A member of the U.S. National Team from 1982–84 and again from 1989–91, Wilde also served as an assistant coach with the U.S. men’s national team from 1993–2000. He was selected as an assistant coach to both the 1996 and 2000 Olympic teams. He also aided the U.S. to a bronze medal at the 1994 World Championships. In 1999, Wilde was the head coach of the U.S. Pan-American team.

The former manager of the High Performance Programs with U.S.A. Volleyball (USAV), Wilde oversaw all aspects of the USAV programs for high school athletes including the Junior and Youth National teams. In 2004, Wilde was recognized by USA Volleyball with a George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball Award.

Wilde continues to be involved in USA Volleyball, coaching the High Performance Select team since 2004. The team won a silver medal at the High Performance Championships in 2006. He also coached the gold-medal winning team in 2005. As the director of the Select Program in 2007, Wilde aided all five teams to medals at the High Performance Championships including two golds.

Wilde was a three-time All-American at Pepperdine University, setting the Waves to the 1978 NCAA Championship. Following graduation, he played with the Tucson Sky of the International Volleyball League. He was the league’s rookie of the year in 1979, leading the Sky to the team title.

Wilde returned to Pepperdine as the men’s head coach from 1985–87 leading the Waves to the 1986 NCAA Championship. Wilde also served as the head men’s coach at UC San Diego from 1991–93 and as the head women’s coach at Drake University from 1984–85.

Still an active player, Wilde has competed in the USA Volleyball Adult nationals since 1974. He is a nine-time adult All-American and has been named the most valuable player of his division three times. In 2005, Wilde was named the most valuable player of the Men’s Masters 45-and-Over division, leading his team to the national championship. His team also won the national title in 2006.

Wilde is a 1980 graduate of Pepperdine University with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a minor in physical education. He is a native of Fort Dodge, Iowa, and his wife, Kris (Hey), is a native of Milwaukee. She was an all-state volleyball and basketball player at Wauwatosa East High School and led the Red Raiders to the Wisconsin state high school titles in both volleyball and basketball in 1980.