Craig Skinner
	Position: Head Coach Years at UK: 8th season

• Seven-straight NCAA Tournament appearances
• 2011 AVCA All-South Region Coach of the Year
• 2005 SEC Coach of the Year
• 2006 USA Junior National Team Head Coach

Kentucky head volleyball coach Craig Skinner thought he was destined to be a numbers person. A 1993 graduate of Ball State with a degree in accounting, Skinner always had proficiency for figures - taking the most out of what he had and profiting from it. And while Skinner realized at a young age that his calling was to work with and mentor young student-athletes, his teams have posted plenty of numbers to back up the success that he has had in his coaching career.

"We expect to compete in every match and have a chance to win with the way we play. Our players will have a winning mentality. Our results will stem from our work ethic and our commitment to our philosophy."

In just his first stint as a head coach, he has been able to infuse his attitude of positive reinforcement combined with his ability to allow players to realize their full potential. And the numbers don't lie. Prior to Skinner's arrival, the Kentucky volleyball program had not experienced a winning season in the previous five years and had not made an NCAA Tournament appearance since the 1993 season. Since that time, the Wildcats have advanced to seven consecutive NCAA Tournaments for the first time in school history. Skinner led the 2006 squad to its first appearance at the national tournament for the first time since 1993.

"Success is a relative term in sports," Skinner said. "But, when coaching and building a program, it's about improvement compared to where we started. It's about understanding what it takes to have a winning mentality and not settling for mediocrity."

When Skinner arrived on the Kentucky campus on Dec. 17, 2004, as the school's sixth head coach, he quickly returned an attitude of confidence to the team. He was determined that the program's timeline for success was immediate and he didn't disappoint. In just one season in the Bluegrass, Skinner returned the Wildcats to national prominence with a 17-12 record and their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. For the team's accomplishments and quick turnaround, Skinner was named the 2005 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year.

In 2006, it was a lesson in perseverance for Skinner's Cats, who overcame several obstacles to advance to their second consecutive postseason appearance. Kentucky posted a 19-12 record - its most wins since the 1993 campaign - and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after toppling No. 20 Ohio in the opening round. The Wildcats took perennial power Florida to five games for the first time since 1988 and knocked off No. 18 Tennessee in Lexington. The win over the Lady Vols was significant as it marked the first time UK toppled a ranked foe in 66 attempts dating back to Sept. 24, 1993. "

The most important thing is to keep having success and showing a brand of volleyball that's exciting, energetic and dynamic to watch," Skinner said.

Skinner in his third season then achieved something no other UK volleyball coach had ever done- he led his team to a third consecutive NCAA appearance after another improved season. The Wildcats went 22-10, while posting the most SEC victories (13) and wins on the road (9) in school history. Kentucky toppled another ranked opponent in No. 18 LSU on national television in Lexington on its way to a fourth place overall finish in the conference.

The Wildcats emerged as one of the best teams in the nation in 2008 reaching the AVCA national polls for 10 consecutive weeks, including finishing the year with a No. 22 overall ranking. Kentucky posted 26 victories, including a school-record 17 in the SEC. Skinner's squad finished second in the SEC standings, the best finish for the school since 1990. Included in that extraordinary conference run was the five-set upset victory over No. 12 Florida in front of the fifth-largest crowd ever to witness a volleyball match at Memorial Coliseum. It was the kind of win that signified UK will be contender in the SEC race each and every year.

Additionally, the Wildcat program took another big step under Skinner's direction when Lexington was selected as a host site of the 2008 NCAA Tournament First and Second Rounds. The selection solidified Kentucky as a program no longer on the rise--but, as one of the teams others will have to contend with for years to come.

Several Kentucky players achieved impressive honors, including junior Sarah Rumely who was named the 2008 SEC Player of the Year. With the honor she became the first player in UK history to win the award voted on by league coaches. Rumely and senior Queen Nzenwa were All-America honorees and led five UK players on All-SEC ballots.

The 2009 season signified the Wildcats had officially arrived on the national scene. The Blue and White opened the season rated as the No. 21 team in the country and remained the polls during every week of the season en route to a 29-5 year and the first Sweet Sixteen appearance under Skinner. UK was picked to host the First and Second Rounds of the national tournament for the second season in a row, and the Wildcats knocked off the tournament's No. 13 seed in Oregon to advance the Regionals. UK soared up the polls and reached as high as No. 7 in the national rankings during the season.

The Wildcats finished second overall in the SEC and claimed the SEC East crown for the first time in school history. For the fifth consecutive season, Skinner led the squad to more victories than the previous season. On Oct. 9, Skinner claimed his 100th career victory in Lexington with a 3-0 win over Auburn. Kentucky's fifth-year head coach reached the 100-win plateau faster than any other previous coach in the history of the program.

In post-season recognition, Kentucky matched its record of five players named to the All-SEC squads with Rumely and junior Sarah Mendoza tabbed to the first-team. Senior BriAnne Sauer would team with the duo to claim a school-best three All-America distinctions. Rumely was a second-team selection, with Mendoza and Sauer named honorable mention honorees. Additionally, Rumely finished her career with school records in career aces and assists. Sauer became just the second player in school allure to amass 1,500 career digs while setting the single-season record for digs in her final campaign.

Although faced with a tough challenge of replacing three All-Americans from the previous season, the 2010 edition of the UK volleyball team continued its impressive streak of NCAA tournament runs. Kentucky capped its season with 17 victories for the sixth consecutive season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight year. With its sixth selection in a row into the NCAA Tournament.

The 2011 season saw the Wildcats back among the top-rated teams in the nation with UK capping a 28-6 season ranked No. 13 in the country and hosting the NCAA Regionals for the first time in program history. Led by second-team All-America selection Stephanie Klefot, UK ventured on the road to College Station, Texas, to knock off Dayton and the host-team Texas A&M to return to Lexington for its second appearance in the Regionals in the last three seasons. Kentucky went toe-to-toe with the tournament's No. 1 overall seed in Texas before the largest crowd in the Skinner era at Memorial Coliseum.

Klefot repeated as the SEC Libero of the Year and set a new-single season UK record with more than 600 digs. She also helped match a program-record with three All-America selections joined by junior Christine Hartmann and sophomore Whitney Billings. Billings became the youngest player under Skinner's direction to earn All-America status. Kentucky also matched a program-record with five All-SEC selections and 17 victories in the grueling SEC. For his efforts, Skinner earned AVCA All-South Region Coach of the Year accolades for the first time in his career.

The Wildcats have averaged 22 each season under Skinner's leadership and are one of just 17 teams in the nation to advance to the NCAA Tournament in each of the past seven seasons.

Skinner has also led an impressive youth movement to Lexington, as first-year players have garnered nine SEC Freshman Player of the Week awards, including Rumely winning the 2006 SEC Freshman of the Year award. Becky Pavan was a unanimous selection to the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2008 and an honorable mention All-Region player in her first season. Billings in 2010 and Lauren O'Conner in 2011 continued the streak of at least one first-year player under Skinner's tutelage to earn All-SEC Freshman team honors.

Kentucky is a place top volleyball players in the country are choosing to play collegiately, as the last six freshman classes have been ranked in the top-30 in the country.

But, people aren't just taking notice of Skinner within the Bluegrass, his coaching ability and success has been recognized nationally as he was selected as the head coach of the 2006 U.S. Junior Women's National Team. Skinner led the team to the gold medal in the 2006 Under-20 NORCECA Championships.

"One of the reasons I wanted to be at Kentucky was the people. The people are what make the University and what make the state. I just had a great gut feeling on the interview that this is where I want to start my head coaching career."

Prior to joining the Wildcats, Skinner spent five seasons as an assistant at Nebraska under John Cook and was named head assistant coach in 2003. During his tenure, the Huskers put together a 154-11 record and claimed the 2000 NCAA title with a perfect 34-0 record. The Huskers made a return trip to the Final Four in 2001 and advanced to NCAA regional semifinals or finals in every season after. In Skinner's five years, Nebraska compiled a 97-3 record in Big 12 action and four Big 12 Championships. Skinner served as defensive coordinator at Nebraska and worked primarily with the middle blockers. He coached three women to six All-America honors during his five-year stay, including Melissa Elmer, who received her second All-America honor in 2004. The Huskers led the nation in blocking in four of the past five seasons.

A 1993 graduate of Ball State, Skinner was an outside attacker for the Cardinals and helped guide BSU to a 28-11 record and a third-place finish at the 1990 NCAA Championships. He was a team captain his final two seasons. While attending Ball State, Skinner also served on staff at the Asics Munciana Volleyball Club, helping lead the 18-and-under squad to the U.S. Volleyball Association national runner-up finish in 1992.

A native of Muncie, Ind., Skinner spent three seasons as an assistant coach under Cook at Wisconsin, from 1994-96, aiding the Badgers to a 68-35 record and three postseason appearances, including the 1996 NCAA regional semifinals. Skinner returned to his alma mater in 1999, helping guide the Ball State men to wins over three nationally ranked teams and an 8-4 record at midseason in 2000 before leaving for Nebraska. That team finished the season ranked 13th in the USA Today/AVCA Top 25.

Skinner is married to former Nebraska assistant women's soccer coach Megan Bechtold Skinner. The couple has two daughters, Sophie and Isabel and a son, Eli.

Skinner's Year-by-Year Coaching Record