Neville, an Assistant in 1984, to Coach U.S. Men’s Volleyball Team in 1992

Already looking ahead to the 1992 Summer Olympics, the U.S. Volleyball Assn. will name Bill Neville, an assistant coach for the 1984 U.S. men’s team that won a gold medal in Los Angeles, as the team’s head coach, The Times has learned.

Neville signed a four-year contract Thursday to succeed Marv Dunphy, who decided not to continue as coach of the national team after this year’s Summer Olympics in Seoul and will return to his former position as men’s coach at Pepperdine University.

Negotiations are continuing with Terry Liskevych, the U.S. women’s coach since 1985 who is expected to sign another four-year contract.

Now employed as technical director at the USVBA’s headquarters in Colorado Springs, Neville, 43, has extensive international experience.

Besides serving under Coach Doug Beal in 1984, Neville was an assistant for the U.S. team in 1968 and was the men’s coach at the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela.

He also was coach for the Canadian men from 1974 to 1977, a period in which they improved in international rankings from 21st to 10th.

The USVBA is believed to have given serious consideration to only one other candidate, having first offered the job to Beal. But when he decided 10 days ago not to return to the position he held from 1976 through 1984, the USVBA quickly came to terms with Neville.