Hawaii men’s volleyball: Charlie Wade wins Rainbow Warriors’ third AVCA coach of year

After a delay of several months due to an ongoing investigation, Hawaii men’s volleyball coach Charlie Wade was named the AVCA 2019 Division I/II Coach of the Year on Wednesday.

The award is for last season, when the Rainbow Warriors set a program record for wins (28) and NCAA record for consecutive sets won (74) en route to a Big West tournament championship and a runner-up finish in the NCAA championship game. They boasted five All-Americans, including four on the first team, and hit .435 for the season while holding opponents to .217.

Wade was subject to a 17-month investigation for past misconduct by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, causing the award to be tabled. The Star-Advertiser reported on Monday that Wade’s investigation was dropped and he was removed from USA Volleyball’s list of suspended members, clearing the way for him to receive the award.

BREAKING: @HawaiiMensVB Head Coach Charlie Wade has been announced as the 2019 @USMarineCorps / AVCA Division I-II Men's Coach of the Year!

More: https://t.co/KCRK8HsSKb pic.twitter.com/qPznjDSGwt

— AVCA (@AVCAVolleyball) January 15, 2020

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UH assistant coach Josh Walker previously received the AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year for 2019.

It was the third time a UH head coach was so honored by the AVCA; Mike Wilton got the nod in 1995 and 2002. Wade completed his 10th season as UH’s men’s head coach in 2019.

The 2020 Rainbow Warriors are ranked No. 1 in the country and off to a 5-0 start. They play at No. 5 Lewis on Friday.