Coach Hugh McCutcheon has become the first New Zealander to be inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.
Hugh McCutcheon is proud of his achievements as volleyball coach. Photo: Photosport
From Shirley Boys' High School in Christchurch, to the American college system and on to being the head coach for the US men's and women's teams, McCutcheon has become one of the country's most successful international coaches.
He is also one of only two coaches of any code in history to win Olympic medals in both men's and women's divisions.
He told Morning Report the induction was "surreal" but the journey to get there was dear to his heart.
"I guess in terms of the result those are probably the most notable but so much of the coaching journey I guess is about the stuff that happens along the way and if you're lucky enough to end up with some hardware at the end of it, that seems to be good," he said.
"They were great achievements but I really hold those teams very close, the things we went through the four years to get to the end."
The success to the top was no magic work but included a lot of hard work and understanding, he said.
"It takes a lot of work and consistency I think is another big element to [success], and making sure the space between what you say and what you do is really small and understanding that as a coach you're a service provider.
"You're just there to try and help your athletes to first and foremost develop a skillset that is going to be repeatable and reliable and then second of all to help them manage the moment of competition, so you know, more than a coach I think I'm a teacher."
The coach was also among New Zealand sporting figures on Queen's Birthday in 2016.
