Rob Machan

Rob Machan is the Head Women's Volleyball Coach at Sacred Heart University.

Rob Machan took over the head coaching reigns of the Sacred Heart University women's volleyball program in 2007 and has molded the team into a Northeast Conference powerhouse.

During an abbreviated 2020-21 season that was played in spring, Machan led the Pioneers to an undefeated 10-0 record in conference play. Sacred Heart nearly swept the end-of-the-year awards with Machan earning Coach of the Year for the fourth time (2009, 2010, 2019, 2020-21). Junior Sarah Ciszek was named NEC Offensive and Setter of the Year while Dominque Felix captured Rookie of the Year.

The 2022 season marked Machan's sixth with 20+ victories, as he led the Pios to a 21-10 mark overall and a 12-2 mark in NEC play. Ciszek made history following the campaign, as she became the first five-time NEC Setter of the Year, in addition to winning Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season. She also became the first player in program history to claim AVCA All-America Honorable Mention status.

Postseason accolades have become the standard at Sacred Heart under Machan’s leadership. Ciszek is the fifth Pioneer to earn Player of the Year while winning Setter of the Year for the third year in a row. She added Sacred Heart’s first AVCA All-Region accolade in five years. Felix’s award gave SHU five Rookie of the Year honors. In addition, Sacred Heart has had 26 All-NEC selections.

Just three years after taking over the program, the Pioneers posted 23 victories in 2009. A year later Sacred Heart won the first of two-straight titles with a school-record 29-7 mark. SHU went 27-8 the following season and was back in the NCAA Tournament. That year the Pioneers became the first NEC school to win a set in the NCAA Tournament against a ranked team as they fell in four sets to No. 11 Stanford.

After an eight-year absence, the Pioneers climbed their way to the top of the NEC in 2019. Sacred Heart swept in-state rival Central Connecticut State in the tournament finale. The Pioneers lost to top-ranked Baylor in the first round of the tournament.

Machan spent five seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Southern California where he helped the Trojans win back-to-back National Championships in 2002 and 2003. USC made four appearances in the NCAA Final Four and captured a trio of Pac-10 titles. He coached 14 All-Americans and four Olympians, including April Ross who won a gold medal in beach volleyball at the Tokyo Olympics.

Following his stint at USC, Machan spent two years as an assistant coach in at Azusa Pacific University, where he helped guide the Cougar program back to the NAIA Tournament in 2005 for the first time since 2000. Azusa then matched that feat again in 2006, marking the first time in school history the Cougars received back-to-back bids to the tournament.

With nearly than 30 years of coaching experience, Machan has excelled at every level. He founded the Long Beach Volleyball Club in 1986 and the Power/Asics Nova Volleyball Club in 1995. He coached Long Beach Club for six seasons, worked with the Magnum Volleyball Club for two years, and then spent five years with Power/Asics Nova. Starting in 1991, his club teams earned medals in the Junior Olympic National Open Tournament nine times, including three gold.

Machan earned his bachelor’s degree in English from USC. He and his wife Christy have three children – Danielle, Joshua, and Matthew. Matthew is a member of the SHU men’s soccer team.

Machan Year-By-Year