NYU Athletics

Alma Mater: NYU '87
Seasons as Head Coach: 33 (including 2026)
Career Record: 446-364 (.550)
United Volleyball Conference (UVC) Tournament Appearances: 12 (2012-19, 2022-25)
UVC Championships: 3 (2017, 2024, 2025)
UVC Coach of the Year: 3 (2012, 2020, 2025)
NCAA Division III Tournament Appearances: 3 (2017, 2024 Final Four, 2025 Elite Eight)
Molten Division III National Championship Appearances: 2 (2000, 2002)
AVCA Division III All-Americans: 31
AVCA National Coach of the Year: 1 (2020)
AVCA Region Coach of the Year: 2 (2020, 2025)
Top AVCA Division III Post-Season Ranking: #2 (2000, 2004-5, 2011, 2020)
EIVA Tournament Appearances: 7; (1999, 2001-02, 2004-05, 2008 Semifinals, 2011)
EIVA Division III Championships: 2 (2000, 2002)
EIVA Hay Division Championships: 2 (2002, 2004)

The architect of New York University’s men’s volleyball success, Jose Pina has served as the program’s head coach since the 1993-94 season. During his tenure, the Violets have produced 18 winning campaigns and an overall record of 446-364 (.550).
 
Since his debut, Pina has piloted his alma mater to two Molten Division III Men’s Invitational Championships (2000, 2002), two Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Hay Division titles (2002, 2004), seven EIVA Tournaments (1999, 2001-02, 2004-05, 2008, 2011), three NCAA Division III Tournaments (2017, 2024, 2025), and two United Volleyball Conference (UVC) Championships (2017, 2024).
 
Overall, Pina has coached 31 All-Americans.

Pina’s team was dominant throughout the 2025 season, winning its first 26 matches before losing to defending NCAA Division III National Champion California Lutheran University in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.   

While recording the most wins in program history in ‘25, the Violets captured another UVC title while being ranked #1 by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) throughout most of the campaign. Pina earned UVC Coach of the Year and AVCA Region III Coach of the Year honors, while six Violets earned All-America honors. Zach Knudsen was selected UVC Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year and Devyn Nguyen was UVC Co-Player of the Year.

The Violets also excelled in their classrooms, earning the AVCA Team Academic Award and Team Academic Honor Roll, as well as UVC All-Academic Team honors. A total of 13 players received UVC All-Academic distinction. Knudsen and Nguyen were named College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic At-Large All-District, with Knudsen adding CSC Second Team Academic All-America honors.

Pina took the program to new heights in 2024, as the Violets went 20-8 and advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament for the first time in school history. NYU won two matches in the tournament before falling 3-2 to Vassar College in the National Semifinals. The Violets had defeated Vassar to capture its second UVC Championship and earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
The season included a 10-match winning streak and a 5-2 record during the UVC regular season.
 
Pina coached two AVCA All-Americans in 2024, as Ry Kagan earned Second Team honors and Knudsen received Honorable Mention. Nguyen burst onto the scene as the UVC Rookie of the Year and AVCA Region II Newcomer of the Year. Luke Boyer and Emerson Evans were both selected to the UVC Championship All-Tournament Team, while Knudsen added UVC Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year to his accolades.
 
The Violets were also impressive off the court in 2024 as nine players earned UVC All-Academic honors and Brian Luu was selected Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar First Team.
        
In 2023, Pina guided the Violets to a 12-10 record (including the 400^th win of his career on March 26 against Concordia University), a berth in the UVC playoffs and a final-season #13 AVCA national ranking.
 
Individually, Gautham Dasari was an AVCA All-North Region honoree and a Second Team All-UVA selection, Boyer also received Second Team honors while Knudsen was the UVC’s Libero/Defensive Specialist of the Year and received Honorable Mention.
 
The accolades were not limited to on-court production as NYU received AVCA and UVC All-Academic Team honors, Dasari was named CSC Academic All-District At-Large, Luu was cited as an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar, and eight team members earned UVC All-Academic status.
 
In 2022, the Violets posted a 10-11 record and advanced to the semifinals of the UVC Tournament. The campaign included victories over then-#1 (and eventual NCAA Champion Carthage College), and a pair of wins over SUNY New Paltz, who finished the season ranked #7 by the AVCA.
 
Individually, James Haag was selected AVCA All-Northeast Region and UVC All-Conference First Team while Ryan Whealan was chosen All-Conference Honorable Mention and to the All-Tournament Team by the UVC.
 
Academic honors were also bestowed upon Pina’s players in ‘22 as four received the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award, six were named UVC All-Academic, and Race Agcaolli earned the Martin Luther King Jr. Student-Athlete Award. The Violets also earned AVCA and UVC All-Academic Team honors.
 
The 2021 season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, the Violets earned AVCA and UVC All-Academic Team honors, while five team members were named UVC All-Academic.
 
The 2020 season was one of the finest in program history, though it was shortened due to Covi-19. The Violets won their first 12 matches (a team record) and rose to #1 in the nation in the AVCA Poll. NYU finished the season 13-3 and ranked #2. For his efforts, Pina was named AVCA National and North Region Coach of the Year, as well as UVC Coach of the Year.
 
Honors were also plentiful for Pina’s players in ‘20 as Neil Ferraro (First Team) and Evan Lindley (Second Team) earned AVCA All-America honors. The duo, along with Matin Bikdeli and Alex Li, received All-UVC honors, as well.
 
The success of 2020 was not limited to the volleyball court as eight team members earned UVC All-Academic honors and the Violets were cited as an AVCA and UVC All-Academic Team. Lindley was also selected as a CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-American At-Large.
 
In 2019, the Violets posted a 13-11 overall record and a 6-3 mark in the UVC. NYU advanced to the semifinals of the UVC Tournament by defeating MIT in the opening round before falling to host Stevens. Ferraro earned AVCA Second Team All-America accolades and First Team recognition from the UVC and ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference). Lindley (First Team) and Li (Honorable Mention) also received UVC honors, while Li was also a Second Team All-ECAC selection.
 
In 2018, Pina led the Violets to a 16-9 overall record and to the semifinals of the UVC Tournament after posting a 5-4 regular-season mark. NYU finished the campaign ranked #11 in the nation by the AVCA.
 
Individually, Ferraro was selected First Team All-UVC, AVCA First Team All-American and All-ECAC Honorable Mention. Li was named to the UVC All-Tournament Team, Second Team All-UVC, AVCA First Team All-American, and All-ECAC First Team.
 
Off the court, the Violets received UVC All-Academic Team honors, while five players received individual All-Academic accolades.
 
In 2017 Pina coached NYU to an overall 18-10 record, including a 7-1 UVC mark. The Violets won eight matches versus AVCA top-20 teams and were ranked as high as #3 in the nation. Pina guided NYU to its first-ever UVC Championship, as the team defeated AVCA #3 Stevens and #4 SUNY-New Paltz on consecutive days in the semifinal and championship matches. The UVC title gave NYU an automatic berth to their first-ever NCAA Division III Championship. The Violets, who faced #12 Juniata College on the road in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, fell in a tight five-set match (19-25, 31-33, 25-23, 25-22, 15-10).
 
Pina’s 2017 Violets were not only successful as a team, but also as individuals. Li was named AVCA Newcomer of the Year, AVCA First Team All-American, ECAC North Rookie of the Year, First Team All-ECAC North, and First Team All-UVC. Ferraro (Second Team) and Derrick Chiu (Honorable Mention) also received All-UVC accolades.
 
In 2016, Pina led the team to a 14-14 record, including a 5-2 mark at home. The squad also went 6-2 in UVC play, qualified for the UVC Tournament as the #3 seed, and finished the season ranked #13 in the nation by the AVCA.
 
Individually, Nick Benson earned Second Team All-UVC honors, Chase Klein was tabbed Honorable Mention and Chiu was selected AVCA National Player of the Week on March 29.
 
Also successful off the court, eight of Pina’s players were named UVC All-Academic.
 
In 2015, the Violets posted a 17-11 overall record, advanced to the UVC semifinals and finished the campaign ranked #9 in the AVCA poll.
 
Individually, Benson was named Second Team All-UVC while Klein earned Honorable Mention.

In 2014, NYU went 18-11 overall, reached the UVC Tournament Final and ended the season ranked #13 in the AVCA Poll. Nick Capriccio was named Second Team All-UVC, while Connor Mortland earned First Team accolades and was selected AVCA All-America Second Team for the third time in his career.

In 2013, NYU posted a 14-13 record with a 7-4 mark in its second season as a member of the UVC. Under Pina’s tutelage, Mortland (Second Team) and Capriccio (Honorable Mention) each received UVC postseason accolades.
 
The Violets did not miss a beat during the squad’s first year in the UVC in 2012. Pina led the team to a 20-9 overall record and to a perfect 11-0 mark within the conference. Mortland earned AVCA Second Team All-America honors and NYU finished the season ranked #8 by AVCA. For his efforts, Pina was named UVC Coach of the Year.
 
In 2011, the Violets’ final year in the EIVA, the team went 19-9 overall and 5-3 in the conference, earning a berth in the EIVA Tournament. The Violets also earned the #1 ranking in all of Division III late in the season and missed out on a berth to the Molten Division III Championship on tiebreakers. NYU ended the year ranked #3 in Division III by AVCA. Mortland again earned AVCA Second Team All-America honors.
 
In 2009, Devin Zolnowski earned First Team honors and graduated that season as the program’s career and single-season leader in kills and points during the rally-scoring era. 
 
In 2008, the Violets went 23-8 and advanced to the EIVA semifinals for the first time before bowing to eventual NCAA National Champion Penn State University in three tightly-contested sets. In addition to tying for the second-most wins in school history, NYU finished with a #5 final ranking in the CBS College Sports Network/AVCA Division III Poll.
 
Pina began his coaching career as an assistant under NYU’s Mike Michalakis from 1991-93. He helped the Violets earn an EIVA Tournament bid in 1992.
 
A two-year captain and four-year starter for NYU's men’s club volleyball team, Pina earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1987. The school’s men’s volleyball program began playing at the varsity level in 1989. 
 
Above all, Pina’s heart lies with an NYU volleyball program that he has helped to build into one of the nation’s best. 
 
"NYU provides an educational experience unlike any other school," Pina said. "Our location, our faculty and our student body are the university's strongest assets. I believe it is truly one of the best places in the country for a student-athlete to continue his academic career. On top of this, we continue to build one of the top volleyball programs in the nation and provide student-athletes from all over the nation a chance to study and play in the greatest city in the world."

Pina's Year-by-Year Records

 
* NYU ceased play in the EIVA and began play in the UVC                                                                                                                                                                                                         
** Season suspended due to the COVID-19 Pandemic                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
*** Season canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic