DALE FLICKINGER NAMED WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL COACH

EDINBORO, PA - Edinboro University Director of Athletics Bruce Baumgartner today announced the appointment of Dale Flickinger as interim women's volleyball coach. Flickinger replaces Lynn Theehs, who resigned recently to accept the women's volleyball head coaching job at the University of Maine.

Flickinger served as a volunteer assistant coach for Theehs a year ago when the Fighting Scots finished with a 26-12 record and advanced to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional finals. While it has been over 20 years since Flickinger last served as a head coach on the collegiate level, he brings an impressive resume.

"We are very fortunate to have an individual the likes of Dale Flickinger to step in and take over the program," Baumgartner pointed out. "The Edinboro volleyball program has ranked among the best in Division II and has enjoyed a great deal of success. We have every intention of maintaining the program at that level. Dale's experience at prominent institutions such as USC and Arizona State speaks for itself." Baumgartner indicated that Edinboro will conduct a nationwide search for the head coaching position later this year.

Flickinger began his coaching collegiate coaching career at the University of Southern California in 1977 as an assistant women's volleyball coach to legendary Chuck Erbe, the current head coach at Michigan State. When Erbe took a sabbatical in 1978, Flickinger took over as head coach and guided the Trojans to a 32-11-1 record. USC finished second in the WCAA and was fifth at the AIAWA National Championships. He was recognized as the WCAA Coach of the Year.

The following year Flickinger took over as head women's volleyball coach at Arizona State, coaching the Sun Devils for four seasons. His 1981 and 1982 teams were selected for the NCAA National Championships, with the '82 squad finishing with a 31-16 record and a ranking of ninth by the AVCA. He compiled an overall record of 81-58, with three top 20 finishes.

While Flickinger's collegiate experience concluded at that time, he remained active in the highly competitive California club volleyball area. All told he possesses almost 30 years of experience in club volleyball. He led the Orange County Volleyball Club to six national AAU Jr. Olympics championships, coached the Phoenix Valley Volleyball Club to the US Volleyball Association National Junior Olympics, and guided four club programs to a total of nine top five finishes at the Davis National Volleyball Festival. His last stop was the Saddleback Valley Volleyball Club, where he coached from 1993-2001. In 1977 Flickinger was named the AAU Jr. Olympics National Coach of the Year.

As a high school coach, Flickinger was named the Orange County Register Coach of the Year in 1990 while coaching at Corona del Mar High School in California. He also served as the head coach at El Modena (CA) High School, and was the JV and assistant varsity coach at Linesville High School a year ago.

In addition, Flickinger has had plenty of coaching experience on the international level. He was the head coach of the 1978 USA Junior National Team which captured a silver medal at the Pacific Rim International Tournament; then later coached that same team in 1980, guiding it to North & Central American Junior Championships. In 1982 he was the head coach of the USA Junior National Team which came away with a bronze medal at the Pacific Rim International Tournament, and also guided the US Olympic Sports Festival South Team to a bronze medal.

Flickinger has coached numerous world-class caliber players, including several Olympians, one on the current Olympic squad headed to Athens, Greece.

A 1970 graduate of Penn State, Flickinger earned his bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering. He would go on to work for over 30 years in the aerospace engineering industry, including serving as a mechanical engineer in ground support engineering, propulsion, and launch operations from 1983-2003 at Hughes Aircraft Co. (now Boeing Satellite Systems).

Flickinger and his wife Beverly reside in Meadville.

~ Fighting Scots ~

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Created on ... August 5, 2004