MINNEAPOLIS — Two days following Hugh McCutcheon's surprising mid-season announcement that this will be his final season as Minnesota's head volleyball coach, we are still left with more questions than answers.
'We'll talk about it at the end of the year," said Minnesota Head Coach Hugh McCutcheon when asked what led to his decision. "I appreciate everyone's concern, but right now the focus should be on the team, and it is."
McCutcheon's success at Minnesota speaks for itself. Midway through his 11th season, he's led the Gophers to three final fours, five elite eights, nine sweets 16's and two Big Ten Conference Championships. All this success with a program that's currently ranked ninth in the country adds more intrigue to the timing of the decision.
For now, McCutcheon is simply leaning on the press release from Sunday.
"No comment. We'll talk about it at the end of the season, as per the release (from Sunday)," said McCutcheon to a group of reporters on Tuesday.
"Yeah, I think it was a shock for a lot of us," said senior libero CC McGraw. "Hugh has always been such a supportive mentor and coach for us, so we want to support him with this decision, because at the end of the day, we just want what's best for him."
McGraw believes Sunday's news can be a galvanizing moment for Gophers, who are 10-6 and will play at Iowa Wednesday night.
"Finish it strong for him as well. We have all this purpose now for this season, there's so much to fight for," said McGraw.
McCutcheon's success on the floor in his 11 seasons in Minneapolis only tells half the story; players say his impact off the court is equally special.
"He shows genuine care for you as a human," McGraw said. "That's something that separates him from a lot of top-tier programs across the country. That's something I would say I do not take for granted."
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