Seton Hill University head volleyball coach Rick Hall returns for his 40th season in 2024 at the helm of the Griffins volleyball program. Over his 39 seasons at Seton Hill, Coach Hall has a career record of 788-432. Rick won his 700th career match in 2017 when the team defeated California (PA) on November 7th.
Coach Hall’s career at SHU has been highlighted by two Northeast Regional Coach of the Year honors, four District Championships, two Regional Championships, and four national tournament appearances in Hawaii, Kansas, and California. In 2006, Coach Hall was inducted into the first class of the Seton Hill University Athletic Hall of Fame.
In 2013, Rick led the Griffins to their first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In 2014, the Griffins hosted the PSAC Tournament for the first time in school history and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season where they advanced to the regional semifinals. The Griffins posted their fifth straight 20+ win season in 2015, finishing with 23 wins. In 2017, they advanced to the PSAC Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons. The team also qualified for their third NCAA Atlantic Regional.
During the 2018 season, the Griffins won their first ever PSAC Championship with a 3-2 win over Gannon in the PSAC Championship match. The Griffins advanced to their fourth NCAA Regional where they dropped a heartbreaking 3-2 decision to host and top seed Wheeling Jesuit in the regional final.
In 2019, the Griffins made another appearance in the PSAC Tournament and advanced to their third straight NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional.
Coach Hall’s influence on volleyball in the area has extended beyond Seton Hill. He enjoyed a brief coaching stint with Hempfield high school and has been involved in the USA Juniors 16-and-under program, as well as the development of volleyball in the Catholic Youth Organization in Greensburg for grades 4 through 8.
A Latrobe High School and St. Vincent College graduate, Hall played professionally in the Association of Volleyball professionals in the late seventies and early eighties. His stints on the Cuervo Gold Pro Beach Doubles Tour, along with the Miller Lite Pro Beach Doubles Tour allowed him to play against the best professional competition up and down the east coast. Hall's indoor experience came with the United States Volleyball Association.
Rick and his wife Valerie have three children, Allyson, Ryan and Candace. Rick has two grandchildren, Connor and Nolan, sons of Allyson and Ross Yalch.
