I don’t even really know Brian Gimmillaro.
My only interaction with him this season has gone something like this: After a Long Beach State women’s volleyball match, me, a volleyball novice at best, would ask a very intuitive question like, “So what did think you think of the match, coach?”
It would have been easy, even understandable, if Gimmillaro gave me an answer that was worthy of my question. But he never did.
Instead, he would talk about the key points of the match in a language I could understand, making sure I knew what I had just watched in the last two hours.
When I would eventually stop torturing the coach with my questions, Gimmillaro would look me in the eyes and say, “Thanks for the coverage. We appreciate it.”
I’ve talked with dozens and dozens of coaches as a reporter and I’m used to coaches being extra nice to me. It’s in their best interest if I think they are good guys or women. But Gimmillaro does it in such a professional way that even I get goose bumps.
Gimmillaro is the definition of professional.
You can tell just by looking at him. Every other volleyball coach I have seen this year dresses business casual, wearing khakis and a polo shirt.
Not Gimmillaro.
He looks like the CEO of Fortune 500 company, with a suit, tie and expensive watch.
He is also very emotional.
During a match his left hand seems to twitch uncontrollably, and he leans back and forth during every point as if he is ready to dive in for the dig if his team needs it.
When a call doesn’t go The Beach’s way, Gimmillaro makes sure the referee knows it. He doesn’t pull a Bob Knight impression; he shrugs his shoulders and gives the official the “you have to be joking” look.
His professional and emotional style has yielded three national championships and eight Final Four’s since he took over the head coaching duties at LBSU 22 years ago.
Lately though, Gimmillaro has not found the success LBSU fans have grown accustomed to.
It has now been eight years since The Beach’s historic undefeated national championship season, and after LBSU’s four-game loss to Hawaii Saturday night, Gimmillaro hasn’t even led his team past the second round of the NCAA Tournament since 2001.
Has the game passed him by? Can he not recruit the top players anymore? Is he too tough on his team? Or, maybe, is he just getting too old?
Like I said, I’m not the volleyball expert, so I won’t dare answer any of those questions. I have heard the whispers, though, and with each passing season they will probably get louder.
Whatever the experts think of his coaching abilities, I have yet to meet a better representative of Cal State Long Beach. I might not really know Gimmillaro, but I do know that this university is very lucky to have him as its women’s volleyball coach.
After LBSU’s biggest win of the season over Pepperdine in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday night, and after Gimmillaro talked to his team and the media, a girl, no older than 15, came running up to him.
It would have been easy, even understandable, if he had just patted the girl on the back and said he had a long night and had to go. Instead, he chatted with the girl for a couple of minutes and when it was over she scurried away with a big smile on her face. Gimmillaro was also smiling.
“What a legend,” I thought as I witnessed the exchange. “What an absolute legend.”
