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Gilad Doron enters his fifth season at the University of San Francisco looking to build on a solid debut in 2007 and continue the success of a record-breaking 2008 season.
He was introduced as the ninth head coach in program history on March 14, 2007. This is the second Division I head coaching assignment for Doron, who spent three years (2004-06) as the head coach at Villanova, guiding the Wildcats to back-to-back winning seasons in the Big East.
During his tenure on the Hilltop, Doron has posted a 57-57
(.500) overall record, including 27 WCC victories, which is the
highest total in program history.
Dons Set Program Records, Advance to NCAA
Tournament
In 2008, Doron guided the Dons to one of the most prolific seasons
in USF history. The season was highlighted by USF's highest West
Coast Conference finish in history and a second all-time bid to the
NCAA Tournament.
After starting the season with a strong 10-4 non-conference record, San Francsico rolled through the opening half of league play with an undefeated a program-best 7-0 record. The Dons continued to play strong, earning spots in the national top-25 for four weeks, including an all-time high rank of No. 22.
USF finished WCC play with an 11-3 record, falling just one win short of the league title. Highlights of the conference season included five All-WCC honors, a four-match sweep of Bay Area rivals Saint Mary's and Santa Clara, setting a school record for WCC victories and three-straight weeks in which the Dons' defeated nationally ranked opponents, including Pepperdine and San Diego, both of which were ranked in the top-15.
The season ended with San Francisco's second all-time appearance
in the NCAA Tournament. The Dons were selected to travel to Pauley
Pavilion on the campus of UCLA to face off against perenial ACC
powerhouse Duke. After a hard battle, USF fell 3-2 to the Blue
Devils, finishing the season with a 22-3 record. The 22 wins marked
the third best win total in program history.
Ready To Guide The Dons
Doron helped USF to 17 victories in 2007, highlighted by home
sweeps of defending West Coast Conference champion No. 12 San Diego
and Santa Clara - the Dons first win against the Broncos since
1989.
Under Doron's guidance in 2007, three Dons earned all-conference
honors, headlined by sophomore libero Haley Carroll who was named
the WCC Defender of the Year. Junior middle Alix Gombos and
freshman opposite Sarah Mandala earned WCC Honorable Mention
accolades.
Renovating Villanova
An experienced and well-respected coach, Doron compiled a 46-44
overall record on the Main Line and catapulted Villanova to its
first 20-plus win season since 1997 with a 21-11 mark in 2005,
capped by a berth in the Big East Tournament. The Wildcats posted a
12-win improvement from 2004 to 2005, the second best turnaround in
Big East history. Villanova got out of the gate quickly in 2005,
matching the best start in program history with 10 consecutive wins
to start the season. Along the way, the 'Cats defeated Pittsburgh
for the first time since 1998 and started Big East play at 2-0 for
the first time since 2002 after registering a road sweep against
the Panthers and West Virginia.
Doron coached a pair of All-Big East Second Team performers
during his tenure on the Main Line. Middle blocker Kacy Sellers
(2005) and Adrian Semrau (2006) captured accolades for their 'Cat
exploits. Six student-athletes earned Big East weekly honors during
Doron's watch.
Academic Focus
Doron demanded excellence in the classroom and his
student-athletes responded. In just three seasons, 30 Villanova
volleyball players were selected to the Big East Honor Roll. Semrau
earned ESPN/CoSIDA District II Academic Team honors in 2006.
Villanova earned two AVCA Academic Team Awards from 2004-06. In his
first seasons at USF, setter Darcy Carroll was named to the WCC
All-Academic Team.
Having A Hoot at Temple
Prior to his stint at Villanova, Doron served as an assistant
coach at Temple University from 1996-1999. In four seasons in
Philadelphia, Doron helped the Owls post a 101-28 (.783) overall
record and a remarkable 70-11 (.864) slate in Atlantic-10 action.
In four seasons, Temple averaged 25.3 wins a season and 17.5 league
wins and ran the table in A-10 play in 1997, posting a 22-0
mark.
As an assistant under head coach Bob Bertucci, Doron helped guide the Owls to the most successful three-year run in program history, capped by back-to-back-to-back Atlantic 10 titles and three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Doron worked with two-time Asics All-American Honorable Mention Alma Kovacci, six AVCA All-District selections and six Atlantic-10 First Team picks.
The Philadelphia Volleyball Academy
In between his time at Temple and taking over the helm at Villanova, Doron founded the Philadelphia Volleyball Academy. The nationally ranked volleyball club fields five teams comprised of players aged 14-18. Doron supervised a coaching staff of eight and provided guidance on implementing strategies and team goals.
Doron also spent three years as the head girls' volleyball coach
for Synergy Volleyball Club in Philadelphia. He worked with U-18
players on a nationally ranked club squad that qualified for the
national championships in 2001 and 2002. In 2002, his U-18 team
earned a No. 12 national ranking, and compiled an overall record of
100-27.
Israeli National Team Member
Doron began his coaching career in Israel as the head men's
volleyball coach for the Mate Asher Professional Volleyball Club,
where he mentored national team players from Israel, the Czech
Republic, Romania, and Croatia. Doron led his teams to the 1994
Israeli championship and the finals of the 1995 Israel Cup. Mate
Asher was also a qualifier in the European League in 1996.
An accomplished player, Doron competed for the Israeli National
team for 10 years and was part of the squad that placed fourth in
the World University Games in Japan in 1995. He played 12 seasons
with Mate Asher, helping lead the club to four Israeli League
titles and two Israeli Cup championships.
The Personal File
A 2000 graduate of Temple University with a degree in Business
Administration, Doron and his wife Jennifer have a son, Kai
Jonathon (6). The Doron family lives in San Francisco.
