"I"m the best coach I've ever been..."

He's the Dean of Volleyball coaches in the state, having been at the University of Arizona for the past 27 years. This year he led his Wildcats to his 20th NCAA appearance and their 14th 20 win season with a 22-11 mark, and 11-9 in arguably the toughest conference in the country, the PAC-12. Along the way, he earned his 500th win putting him behind only UCLA's Andy Banachowski as the winningest coach in the PAC-12 conference. 

At a gaudy 512-320 over his almost 3 decades, David Rubio has stayed consistently competitive with the rest of the conference AND country but has personally seen his coaching style and culture change considerably.

Coach Rubio sat down with us on the morning before his last regular season match v. ASU at a Mesa Sheraton coffee shop. (Our apologies for the background noise!) His team was preparing for a serve and pass practice after the interview and he was confident that his Wildcats had done enough to earn another trip to the NCAA tournament, which as it turns out, they did.

In this frank and comprehensive conversation, Rubio talks about his changes as a coach, what kind of athletes he recruits and his expectations of them, some former and current players and his vision for the future of the Club system that he is now also a part of.

Rubio is engaging, honest and doesn't hold back as he talks about his biggest influences coming up as a player and young coach, the "old" Dave Rubio v. the "new" one and advice for players, parents and coaches.

Enjoy Coach David Rubio's insights, opinions and experiences, taken from one of the best, most consistent and experienced coaches in America.

David Rubio Interview Pt. I

David Rubio Interview Pt. II