When Brad Saindon graduated from ASU in 1976 he was a club volleyball player who was relatively new to the sport; he returns to Tempe a much different person.
Saindon, returning as the new head volleyball coach, now boasts an impressive volleyball resume that includes coaching positions at the collegiate and Olympic level.
He started the volleyball program at the University of Colorado and coached at Regis College and the University of Oklahoma.
Saindon was the head coach of the Australian women's national volleyball team for four years and was also an assistant coach for USA men's volleyball the past two years.
But returning to his alma mater, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration, has Saindon excited to rediscover ASU after a more than a two-decade absence.
"It's interesting because [ASU] is so different but it's still the same," Saindon said. "The memories flood back as I walk around here, even seeing restaurants and bars and remembering things that happened there."
But Saindon has had little time to reminisce about his college days since taking over the program in January. He currently splits time between Colorado and Arizona and spends only two days per week in Tempe as he finishes his responsibilities with USA volleyball.
The tough traveling schedule has placed an increased amount of pressure on Saindon as he deals with moving to Arizona and the duties of running the ASU program.
"It's not the pressure so much as having things to do and not enough time to get them done," Saindon said. "I'm trying to sell my house and car in Colorado and at the same time trying to buy a house and car here and take care of the new-job things."
Saindon is single, and claims it makes the move easier because his decision didn't depend on "a wife with a job or kids in school."
The many off-season duties of a head coach were put off by the ASU volleyball program because the position was empty for over a month.
"The schedules were put off and recruiting was put off," Saindon said. "We're trying to get going with the training of the players. That's the best part of the day, for me, when I get into the gym."
Saindon said the ASU athletic department has helped him make the transition between Colorado and Tempe an easy one.
"The people in the athletic department have been good with accepting my time schedule," Saindon said. "Assistant coaches are doing a lot of my work, doing the things I want to get into the program.
"The facilities are second to none and the athletes get the same conditioning from coaches that the football team does and that is rare in collegiate athletics."
Reach the reporter at cameron.eickmeyer@asu.edu.
