Co-Director

Derek Olson

Derek Olson, a longtime pro on the AVP and FIVB beach volleyball tours, enters his first season as Head Coach after spending one year as an assistant coach for the Golden Bears.

Regarded as an expert in the technical side of beach volleyball, Olson played a major role in the Bears forging their best season ever in 2018. An integral contributor to practice planning and execution as well as match coaching, Olson assisted head coach Meagan Owusu in guiding the Bears to a No. 12 final national ranking and third-place finish in the rugged Pac-12 Conference. He helped Cal amass a 24-8 overall record, easily the best in program history.

Olson has been an active competitor on the AVP Tour since 2008 and a part-time participant on the FIVB Tour since 2013. He's competed in 41 career events on the AVP Tour and 14 with the FIVB. He's also represented the United States in nine NORCECA events internationally.

Olson previously served as the beach director for the Coast Volleyball club in San Diego.

Olson has finished in the top-10 in 13 career AVP events, including as high as fifth on three different occassions. His most recent fifth-place finish came in 2016. He has three top-10 finishes on the international FIVB Tour, with a high of fifth place in 2013.

Olson also qualified for the FIVB's prestigious Rio Grand Slam last year. He has nine top-10 finishes in NORCECA events, including a second-place finish in 2015.

Olson received his degree in human physiology from Oregon in 2006 and began coaching on the junior level in 2010.