Beth Launiere was a standout three-sport athlete who went into volleyball coaching and has excelled as the longtime leader of the program at the University of Utah.
She was a top prep volleyball and softball player, and also won a state swimming championship at Northview High School before graduating in 1981. She played both sports and excelled at Aquinas College before stints as an assistant volleyball coach at Ferris State University and the University of Illinois.
When inducted in 2021 Beth was in her 32nd year at the University of Utah and was coming off the program’s fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. She took over the program in 1990 to straighten out a team that won only one match the previous season and then built the Utes into a top-25 power.
Her coaching record heading into 2021 was 601-375, with 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, six conference titles and 17 20-win seasons. In 2019, Beth was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year after leading the Utes to a third-place finish in the Pac-12 and their fourth Sweet 16 NCAA tournament appearance. She was Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year three times.
In 2021 Beth also authored a coaching book titled “Stop Competing and Start Winning, The Business of Coaching.”