The 2024 season will mark Sam Atoa’s 26
th year as the head coach at Utah Valley University. He has a career record of 479-299 and a 343-270 in UVU’s 21 Division I seasons.
Atoa led the Wolverines to their first win over Utah since 2009 in a 3-1 final inside Lockhart Arena on the opening weekend before wrapping up the regular season with a 12-17 record and 8-8 in WAC play. They swept in-state foe Southern Utah twice during the regular season while going 4-0 against fellow Utah WAC schools. In the WAC Tournament, UVU played in their eight consecutive semifinal match. Tori Ellis and Avery Shewell both earned All-WAC honors, and Freshman Lani Matavao earned All-WAC Freshman honors.
In 2022 he led the Wolverines to an 18-11 overall record and 10-4 in the WAC for a fourth-place finish. UVU had Kazna Tanuvasa and Tori Dorius named First Team All-WAC, while Freshman Avery Shewell took home WAC Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-WAC honors. Utah Valley played in their third consecutive WAC Championship match this past season after advancing past UT Arlington and the host UTRGV in the semifinals. UVU fell in the finale to Stephen F. Austin.
Atoa led UVU to its second straight WAC Tournament title in 2021 during the fall season. The Wolverines entered as the No. 7 seed in the tournament and caught fire, defeating the host school, New Mexico State for the biggest upset in WAC Tournament history. They went on to upset Stephen F. Austin and Grand Canyon to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Kazna Tanuvasa was named preseason WAC Player of the Year and finished the season a first-team All-WAC selection.
In the Spring 2021, which was his eighth in the Western Athletic Conference, Atoa helped lead his team to a second-place finish in league play with a 12-4 WAC record, including a 14-6 overall record. He then guided his spikers to the Wolverines first WAC Tournament Championship and its first birth in the NCAA Tournament in school history. Atoa also coached Kazna Tanuvasa to become the programs first AVCA All-American Honorable Mention, WAC Player of the Year, and AVCA Pacific South All-Region Honorable Mention in school history.
In 2018, Atoa led the Wolverines to a 20-14 record, 9-7 in WAC play, and a birth in the NIVC sweet 16. This marked the first time in UVU's Division 1 history that it qualified for a postseason tournament and the third time in school history that the Wolverines have played in a postseason tournament.
In 2016, Atoa's Wolverines' tied for second in conference play with a 10-4 WAC record and posted a runner-up finish at the 2016 WAC Tournament. With the stellar season, Atoa earned WAC Coach of the Year honors for the first time.
The previous year (2015), Atoa helped tutor his squad to a third-place finish in WAC play with a 9-5 league record and a 14-14 overall clip. In 2014, Atoa guided his spikers to fourth-place finish in WAC play with an 8-6 conference clip and a 14-18 overall record. In his club's first season of play in the WAC (2013), Atoa's team tied for third with an 11-5 league record. That year Atoa also recorded his fifth straight season with 18 or more victories with an 18-15 overall record.
Atoa's teams' have also excelled in the classroom over the years, as the 2014 season marked the fourth straight year and seventh overall that his Wolverines were honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association with AVCA Team Academic Award recognition.
Prior to his current run in the WAC, Atoa led UVU to its second consecutive Great West Conference regular season title in 2012 -- with a 7-1 league record -- and its first GWC Tournament Championship. That season, his squad won all six sets it played in the conference tournament en route to the tournament title. Atoa was honored by the league as the conference's coach of the year for the second straight season following his teams' impressive run.
In 2011, Atoa coached Utah Valley to its third consecutive 20-win season, as the squad posted a 23-9 record -- the most wins ever by UVU in its Division I era. The Wolverines also picked up their first-ever Great West Conference Regular Season Championship after storming through conference with a 9-1 record. The Wolverines notched a stellar 14-2 mark at home, including a five-set win over Syracuse in UVU's first-ever meeting with a Big East program. These accomplishments earned Atoa his first GWC Coach of the Year award.
In 2010, Atoa once again led his Wolverines to a 20-plus win season as they finished with an impressive 21-11 overall record. His team once again finished toward the top of the Great West as well, as they went 9-3 to earn a second place finish.
In 2009, Atoa led his club to another successful season at the Division I level as his team won then a school-record 22 matches and finished 22-10 overall. He also led UVU to a second place finish in its inaugural year of Great West Conference play, as his team finished second in both regular season play with a 10-2 record and at the GWC Tournament. Not only did his Wolverines excel in conference action but also against Division I powerhouses as Atoa led his team to its first-ever win over a nationally-ranked opponent as UVU defeated the #17 ranked Utah Utes, for the first time, at home by a score of 3-1.
Atoa also led his team to a very impressive season in 2007 as the Wolverines put up 21 wins while winning their second consecutive Division I Independent Championship. For the success, Atoa was named the Independent Coach of the Year for the second time as UVU swept all four major year-end Independent awards. Utah Valley breezed through the 2007 Independent Championship under Atoa, sweeping each of its three opponents en route to its second title in three seasons. The 2007 campaign marked the third consecutive season that an Atoa-coached player was named the Independent Setter of the Year. Kristi Lindley received that honor after former assistant Lacee Jones (Koelliker) won the award in both 2005 and 2006.
Atoa's spikers finished 17-11 in 2006, following up an 18-11 season and a Division I Independent Championship in 2005. During that Independent Championship season, UVU won 10 of its last 11 matches and Atoa was named the Division I Independent Coach of the Year.
In their second season as a Division I program in 2004 the Wolverines finished with an 11-16 record that included wins over Memphis, Central Florida, Montana, Portland State, and Boise State. As well as two wins each over fellow Div. I Independent teams: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas-Pan American. In the first year of Division I competition in 2003, Atoa led the Wolverine volleyball program to a 10-14 record, with wins over Div. I opponents Boise State and Pac-12 foe Washington State.
Atoa took over the reins of the UV volleyball program in 1999 after six years as an assistant to former head coach Lori Richards. In his first season at the helm of the Wolverine volleyball program, Atoa led UV to a 32-12 record. The Wolverines just missed a trip to the national tournament with a tight, five-set loss in the district championship. Then, in just his second season at the helm, Atoa led UV to the national tournament and a third-place finish in the nation. The third-place finish equaled UV's best showing ever at nationals.
Atoa was named Tachikara/AVCA Junior College National Coach of the Year and Region 18 Coach of the Year. In 2002, Atoa led the Wolverines to a sixth-place finish at nationals.
In May of 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018, Atoa has been able to take his volleyball teams on a humanitarian trip to his homeland of Samoa and also to New Zealand. The idea came to Atoa after devastating tsunamis have struck his home country and Atoa knew that he had to do something to help. Prior to each trip, Atoa and his team have collected thousands of items, including medical supplies, hygiene kits, furniture, sporting goods, computers, books and clothing in Utah and shipped to Samoa. When the team arrived they were able to deliver those items to those in need. On the trips, Atoa has led his team on a journey filled with service where they visited schools, hospitals, elderly care centers and focused to help aid the hardest hit areas of the tsunami. While on the trips, Atoa has also taken took his teams on a volleyball centered venture in New Zealand.
Atoa played volleyball for Brigham Young University from 1984 to 1988, and helped led the Cougars to three consecutive National Collegiate Club Championships. In 1989, Atoa started his coaching career at BYU assisting Coach Carl McGown when the program was officially sanctioned as an NCAA sport. In 1990, Atoa accepted a supervisor position in the Intramural program at Utah Valley and traveled back and forth between both schools for a year to fulfill his obligations.
In 1991 Atoa accepted the position to be the women's volleyball assistant at Utah Valley. In 1993 he also accepted the position to be the Intramural Director and remained in that position until 2001 while still coaching. Atoa was born and raised in Pesega, Samoa, and has a rich cultural and athletic background.
He is highly honored and respected in his country, having received the Papalii or "Son of the King" title from the late Head of State of Samoa, His Highness Malietoa Tanumafili II. Atoa went to high school at the Church College of Western Samoa and graduated with high honors. After graduating from high school, Atoa went to BYU-Hawaii and played volleyball for two years. He earned his way through school by entertaining and dancing at the Polynesian Cultural Center.
In 1982 he served an LDS Church Mission in the California San Jose Mission. Following his mission, he moved to Provo and attended BYU where and earned a spot on the club team that went on to attain national prominence. Atoa and his wife, Lori, reside in Orem and are the parents of six children: Sam, Bradley, Devri, Andrew, Darci and Saini. They also have three grandchildren: Luana, Revan, and Ellie.
