Photo by Eric Evans/Oregon Media Services
Dec. 5, 2009
By Alicia Hankins
Five years ago, Coach Jim Moore sat back in one of the creaky wooden seats in the 100-level section of Oregon’s historic McArthur Court and watched his new volleyball team practice for the first time.
Music from the radio echoed from all three levels of the antiquated indoor arena, affectionately known as “The Pit” to the Mac Court faithful, while the players nonchalantly scrimmaged one another.
After awhile, Moore, who was disgusted that the players had the radio on while scrimmaging, had seen enough.
He rejoined his team and asked, “So what’s the score?”
The players looked at one another. They had no idea.
Moore shook his head and asked, “Then why the frick are you playing?”
He knew from that moment he would have his work cut out for him rebuilding the Oregon women’s volleyball team.
Moore’s coaching philosophy, teaching methods and respect for his players make him a unique coach. His coaching statistics suggest he is outstanding when it comes to reforming collegiate volleyball programs, but Moore believes that it is good players that turn things around.
“I preach intrinsic discipline and intrinsic motivation,” Moore said. “You have to take responsibility for what you’re doing out on the floor. I don’t tell players what to do, who to hang out with, or what to eat.”
In the world of athletics, players sometimes have to run laps as punishment for not doing something correctly, and often times they get angry with the coach.
Bu with Moore’s philosophy, the players are held responsible for their actions.
“When players don’t succeed, there’s only one place to look. Some people get angry and frustrated that they have to hold themselves responsible.”
Moore’s faith in the actions of his players comes from the respect he has for them.
“I’ve always treated my players with respect. I respect each and every one of them. I care for them. I love them,” he said. “Volleyball is a very emotional activity. Everybody’s giving everything they have. They’re spilling their guts out there constantly.”
History of Moore’s coaching career would suggest that this approach to the game has paid off. In his 20-year tenure as a volleyball coach, the combined 143-228 (.385) overall record of four volleyball programs increased dramatically after his arrival when those same teams produced a 268-118 (.694) overall record.
Originally from Long Beach, Calif. and a 1980 graduate of Long Beach State, Moore spent five years coaching at Northern Michigan University where he led his team to an NCAA Division-II national championship before he moved on to Kansas State University. He spent three years there and then moved on to the University of Texas where he led the team to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances as well as a Big-12 Conference championship.
After his four-year stint at Texas, he went to Chico State for two years before returning to Northern Michigan for two years where he had a win-loss record of 50-8 (.862).
In 2005, Moore came to the University of Oregon. “I wanted to get back to the West Coast near mountains and I knew it would be something I would like,” he recalled.
When he finally arrived in Eugene, he fell in love with it.
“It was the first place I’d been since I left the mountains in southern California that felt like home.”
Moore, who is married with two children, found himself in a familiar place geographically and professionally.
During the five years before Moore arrived to UO, the volleyball team had a 43-104 (.293) overall record with only a 4-86 (.044) conference record.
With his knowledge of program rebuilding and his passion for coaching volleyball, Moore set out to improve Oregon’s volleyball team.
Moore, however, doesn’t like to take the credit for the success of Oregon’s volleyball program. Instead, he credits the players.
“Good players. It’s that simple. Good players are required to turn around a volleyball program.”
“My first year here [at UO] I was 1-17 in conference play,” Moore said. “To say that the coach miraculously changed this program around…I’m the same guy that was 1-17, but Sonja Newcombe and Neticia Enesi weren’t here.”
Newcombe and Enesi, outstanding athletes and seniors on this year’s 2009-2010 volleyball squad, are only the second and third players that Moore has recruited and coached for all four years.
“Players like Sonja and Teesh (Neticia) trusted in me enough and believed in me enough that change would happen,” he said. “I feel strongly that my faith and trust in them has to be matched at the same level. I don’t know if I can ever repay them because they’re doing it blindly and I’m doing it knowingly.”
Upon being recruited, Newcombe, the team captain, really liked Moore’s philosophy and attitude.
“From talking to him for as long as I had, I really just liked the ideas and the passion that he had for possibly changing the program,” Newcombe said. “Because I had been part of that in my high school, we transitioned from nothing to winning a state championship, I really wanted to be a part of that again.”
Enesi liked Moore’s intrinsic motivation and discipline philosophy.
“I think we hold each other accountable amongst ourselves. He kind of puts the coaching job almost on the team,” Enesi said.
Coach Moore hopes that when his players look back on their experiences in his program, that they have grown as people.
“I want people to look back on this and say ‘That made me a better person.’ ”
Moore wants to sustain a high level of play at the university so that people recognize Oregon volleyball as being one of the premiere programs in the country.
His advice for other coaches trying to rebuild a volleyball program is simple: “You have to have expectations. You have to have passion. Those two things I think are the key and the rest is hard work,” he said. “That’s it.”
“And good players,” he added with a smile.
