After 10 years as coach of the UW women's volleyball team and just weeks before the season began, Bill Neville suddenly announced his immediate retirement late last July.

"It has been a great honor and source of joy to have coached at the University, be a part of the terrific staff in the athletic department, and coach the outstanding student-athletes," said Neville in a prepared statement. "However, I believe it is in the best interests of my family, the volleyball program and myself, that I move on to new challenges."

Team members were shocked when they heard the news, said senior Britni Churnside, the team's setter. "It was a huge surprise, no one saw it coming," she said. According to Churnside, players weren't informed exactly why Neville was retiring on such short notice.

"It sounds to me like he did it for personal reasons. Bill doesn't make rash decisions, and I'm sure he put a lot of thought into his decision," said Churnside. "He also made it clear to us that this had nothing to do with the team or our performance last season." Neville could not be reached for comment.

With pre-season games starting next Monday and its first game scheduled for August 31 against Brigham Young University, a top-10 school, the UW's athletic department had to act quickly. Barbara Hedges, director for Husky athletics, immediately began a nationwide search for Neville's replacement the day he announced his retirement, sending news of the opening to the NCAA and conducting interviews for potential coaches.

Coach Jim McLaughlin, of Kansas State University, was named the new coach for UW by Hedges on August 1.

"We are thrilled to have the McLaughlins join the Husky family," said Hedges. "Jim was clearly our top candidate and he brings exceptional credentials as well as championship experience to the Washington volleyball team."

McLaughlin led the women's team at Kansas State to four consecutive NCAA tournaments, and chose to come to UW "because of the people and the professionalism they showed me," said McLaughlin.

"I started to really do my homework and there were many reasons why I decided to come here. The UW has a great academic reputation, and the success of the athletic department has been phenomenal," he said.

The team has a lot to adjust to in little time, but is maintaining a positive attitude about working with McLaughlin.

"We made a decision to not let any coaching changes affect the direction that the team was headed," said Churnside. "When we met him for the first time at a team meeting on Monday, he got us really fired up. He's a great motivational speaker, and talked about new things for our team, which is what we needed. It's great that they found someone this good in such a short amount of time."

Although team members say they are excited to work with a new coach and play in the new Hec Ed Pavilion, Neville will be missed. "It will be really hard without Bill," said Churnside. Not only was he an awesome coach, but he was a father figure to many of us, and now we have to adjust to new ways of doing everything."