Legendary Pepperdine Waves men’s volleyball coach Marv Dunphy experienced another milestone in his hall of fame career on May 25.
Dunphy was awarded USA Volleyball’s Harold T. Friermood “Frier” Award during the USA Volleyball Hall of Fame ceremony at the Dorothy C. Boyce Banquet in Orlando, Fla.
Dunphy said receiving the Frier award was an honor.
“I learned from the best and was able to work with the best,” he said.
The award is considered USA Volleyball’s highest honor and is given to recognize longtime contributions to volleyball. Dunphy, who coached the Waves for 34 years and four national titles, is the 52nd recipient of the award.
The Topanga native began his volleyball life as a player at Pierce College. He then played on Pepperdine’s volleyball team before becoming a Waves assistant coach in 1975. He then became the team’s head coach two years later.
Dunphy coached the U.S. Men’s National Team from 1985-88. Under his guidance the squad won gold at the 1985 World Cup, the 1986 World Championships, the 1987 Pan American Games, and the 1988 Olympic Games.
Dunphy took a leave of absence as the Waves coach to lead the USA squad. He returned to Pepperdine after 1988 and was head coach until retiring in the summer of 2017. He now serves as the Waves head coach emeritus.
Since coaching the U.S. men’s team, Dunphy has continued to serve as a scout or assistant coach for national teams. In 2008, Dunphy was on the staff of the U.S Men’s National Team that won Olympic gold. He was a consulting coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team that won gold at the Olympics in Tokyo last summer.
Dunphy seeks to add value to whatever endeavor he participates in with volleyball. At the USA Volleyball event, the coach told officials with the International Volleyball Hall of Fame, of which he is a member, that he was available to help the hall.
“I hope to give back in any way I can,” Dunphy said.
Dunphy was one of several people to be honored at the USA Volleyball Hall of Fame ceremony. Four-time Olympian and gold medalist Phil Dalhausser was named the 2021 National Team Male Athlete of the Year; two-time world champion Sinjin Smith was awarded the All-Time Great Male Beach Athlete award; 1988 indoor Olympian and international beach champion Liz Masakayan was named the All-Time Great Female Beach Athlete; and USA Volleyball Gulf Coast Region Commissioner Philip Bryant was given the George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball Award.
Dunphy, a member of the International Volleyball, AVCA, and Pepperdine halls of fame, spoke last at the volleyball spectacle.
“Everyone in the room had given so much to the sport and continue to give so much to the sport, so it was nice to speak with them,” Dunphy noted.
David Hunt, who coached the Waves for five seasons after Dunphy retired, said there are very few coaches who have impacted volleyball the way Dunphy has.
“He has coached a lot of really great athletes and been around and taught and mentored a lot of coaches,” Hunt said. “Then, you have the human element of what a good friend he is to all of those people. When I think of him — he is a great coach, he’s a great person. I’m thankful for what a good friend he is.”
