Russ Rose’s Legacy of Excellence

With last week’s retirement of legendary Penn State women’s volleyball coach Russ Rose came a wave of thoughts about Russ and his career. Winning is certainly fun but Russ was something so much more. No matter in what decade one of his student-athletes played for him, they saw a consistency and commitment to excellence that endured across time. It is sort of a theme here at Penn State, a place of true coaching excellence across a range of sports.

Penn State’s athletic department was blessed by visionary leadership. A number of coaches rank among the greatest of all-time in their sports. Gillian Rattray won multiple national titles in both women’s lacrosse and field hockey (and in both sports in 1980). Gene Wettstone won nine national championships in men’s gymnastics. Bill Jeffrey led the men’s soccer team to nine national titles. 

In more recent times, both Joe Paterno and Russ Rose stand as the all-time wins leader in their sports’ highest level. And even now Coach Cael Sanderson seems destined to perhaps become the greatest wrestling coach of all-time.

Penn State has been a place where excellence on and off the field was supported by leadership that understands this: across all sports for both men and women every student-athlete here has come to Penn State with championship drive and determination. And for decades they were supported in every way to reach the top.  

And never was that more apparent to me than when we caught the Penn State women’s volleyball national championship match at the end of the 2009 season. With Russ retiring, this seemed to be a great time to republish that column from 12 years ago. It is as true now as it ever was.

Russ, you are simply the greatest. On behalf of so many who have known, respected and learned from you, here’s hoping that you enjoy retirement, and that Lori can adjust to a life of all-Russ-all-the-time.

Title Bout Reveals Strength of Women’s Sports

December 31, 2009

by Jay Paterno

After I finished my last column two weeks ago I started to think about topics for my next column — one that would appear on Dec. 31, 2009. My first thought, like the first thought of all other writers and columnists, was to write about the year past or even the decade past.

What I wanted to write about changed on the night of Dec. 19 in Tampa, Fla. That day we traveled to Florida to begin our bowl preparations for the Capital One Bowl — which we will be playing on New Year’s Day. After arriving in Daytona Beach we got to talking about the Penn State women’s volleyball team and its national title match against Texas later that night.

Realizing that we were just 120 miles or so from where they’d be playing in five hours, we decided to make the drive to witness history. It was a match that was well worth the trip — in fact, it was a match worthy of a 2,000-mile road trip.

I have been fortunate to have been a part of great sporting events as a coach and sometimes as a fan. The national championship match that night between Penn State and Texas takes a back seat to none.

The details of the match have been reported already, but there were subplots aplenty. Penn State — winner of 100 straight and two-time defending national champions — fell behind two games to none and appeared to be headed to defeat for the first time in more than two years.

But the comeback win was compelling sport and, for a Penn State fan, it was spectacular to behold. In the last three games, neither team could shake the other. Each point was played as though it were the last. Each team made seemingly impossible shots and dug out balls that looked to be sure kills.

The fire, drive and sheer physicality of this match were impressive to behold. To see Texas player Destinee Hooker soar through the air to deliver one of her numerous kills was to see a woman fly. The determination of Megan Hodge and her Penn State teammates as they clawed all the way back for the win was a lesson in determination and toughness that stacks up to any comeback in any sport on any level.

But this game transcended just one match and just one season. This was a match that made a statement to anyone watching about the explosive growth in women’s athletics. A great crowd was on hand, and the fans hung on every point. ESPN2 televised the game to a national audience. The two teams were made up of a diverse group of athletes from many different parts of the country.

The athleticism, skills, speed and jaw-dropping power displayed by the women on both sides of the net seems to have changed dramatically from when I watched match