Lu Hired by CSUN to Provide Stability

Hoping to end the turmoil and uncertainty that has surrounded its women’s volleyball program for the past year, Cal State Northridge announced Wednesday the hiring of Lian Kang Lu as coach, effective Jan. 1.

Lu, 59, will replace John Price, who coached the Matadors to a 12-17 record this season on a one-year interim basis.

Lu, an assistant women’s coach at UC Santa Barbara for the past 10 seasons, is one of the top coaches in the world, according to Price, who has guided the Matador men’s team since 1986.

“He brings instant credibility to this program,” said Price, who was head of the search committee for the job. “There were a lot of other good, young coaches in the pool, but they couldn’t bring the instant credibility to the program that he could.”

Judy Brame, Northridge’s senior associate athletic director, expressed similar sentiments.

“Returning some stability to the program has been a very high priority for us,” Brame said. “And I feel like we’ve done that.”

Lu, who was born in Shanghai, was a setter on the Beijing professional men’s volleyball team during the 1960s and played on the national team several times.

He coached the Beijing professional women’s volleyball team from 1968-81, the Mexican national team in 1982, and is one of the founders of the Chinese women’s national team that produced world championships in 1982 and ‘86, World Cup titles in ’81 and ‘85, and the ’84 Olympic gold medal.

Though his vast background might make him an unlikely candidate to take over a program that just completed its fourth season at the Division I level, Lu doesn’t view it that way.

“I will stay here all my life,” Lu said about Northridge. “Right here at this university. You can write that down. . . . This program is in a very solid position. Because of all the high schools in the (Valley and surrounding areas), there is a good foundation for success.”

Lu’s hiring comes a little more than 11 months after Walt Ker’s sudden resignation. Ker, who guided Northridge to a 401-144 record from 1979-93, cited “family considerations” for his decision.

A short time later, it was learned Ker’s departure came after two Northridge players filed a written complaint accusing him of sexual harassment. Other former players also alleged that in the early 1980s Ker had consensual sexual relations with team members.

Price, who guided Northridge to a runner-up finish in the NCAA men’s championships in May, replaced Ker on a one-year interim basis after the four finalists for the job declined the position.

Lu, who expects to attain his U.S. citizenship next year, will take over a team that had no senior starters this season. The Matadors will be bolstered by the transfer of Kathleen Shannon, a junior setter from Illinois.