Cowan volleyball coach Pancho Alvarez talks to his team during a 2012 practice. Alvarez recently resigned.
Pancho Alvarez describes his decision as “bittersweet.” After three seasons coaching Cowan’s volleyball team, Alvarez recently resigned the position. His tenure included winning the 2012 Class A state championship with the Blackhawks.
“It felt very much home,” Alvarez said. “Of course, it’s Delaware County. And that’s the thing, I will still pinch myself every once in a while and go, ‘Dude, you just resigned from high school volleyball in Delaware County.’ Just a great volleyball program, and that was started long before I got there. Great tradition, long before I got there. And, again, it’s Delaware County high school volleyball, and I was blessed just to kind of fall into it when I did.”
Alvarez recently got married and has relocated to Noblesville. He cited family reasons as a major factor in his decision to step away from the Blackhawks.
After winning a state title in 2012, Alvarez’s subsequent two teams each lost to Wes-Del in sectional. Wes-Del went on to win a regional championship in 2013, then won the Class A state title last fall.
“Whoever steps into the position has some big shoes to fill,” Cowan athletic director Brent Adams said. “His picture will forever be on our wall in the athletic hall for the 2012 state championship. And he took our team in the hotbed of volleyball in Delaware County, and we were competitive all three years and really had good runs. So, he did an outstanding job for us and we really appreciate the time he put in to our team and our girls.”
With summer conditioning fast approaching, Adams said he hopes to receive a strong applicant pool and move quickly in the hiring process for Alvarez’s successor. Alvarez spoke highly of the Cowan program and the job his successor will receive.
“Whoever (the new coach) should be, it is a group of girls who are hungry, just as hungry as that first group that I had in 2012, that want to compete at a very high level,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez, who previously coached Lapel and Pendleton Heights, said he plans to continue coaching at the club level with Munciana. And he hopes to one day return to coaching high school volleyball.
“I love to teach; I’ve been taught by the best teachers of the game that there are,” Alvarez said. “So I do see myself going back to coach again at the high school level, certainly probably some place closer, if that opportunity should arise. And I’m not going to put myself above even going back to coaching at a middle school level, simply because I love the game and I love it enough to teach it.”
Contact prep sports reporter Sam Wilson at (765) 213-5807. Follow him on Twitter @SamWilsonTSP.
Cowan volleyball opening
Candidates interested in Cowan’s volleyball coaching opening may contact athletic director Brent Adams at badams@cowan.k12.in.us or by phone at 289-7128.