inside track on some top Vball players because they are LDS. But, the advantage isn't enough for BYU to regularly battle for the national title. Sure, there would be times when the LDS culture would produce enough to challenge for the title, but not year in and year out. For BYU to stay at the top, the Cougs have to attract top international talent. Look at Penn St. When they are at the top, they have top international players because they aren't stealing too many top Calif. players away from UCLA, Cal Irvine, LBSU, and UCSB, not to mention Stanford.

Carl McGown was one of the top, most respected Vball coaches in the world. He was either on the bench or assisting the USA mens Vball Olympic team in at least 5 Olympics. He is the top blocking coach in the world, bar none. At the Olympics, he would have two seats reserved so that when the teams switched ends, he could also switch ends. He would radio blocking instructions to the bench. I review these facts to emphasize that BYU had one of the top Vball coaches which helped attract, not only top LDS athletes from California, but also quality international players like Ozzie Antonetti, and Hector Lebron. Don't forget, Carl attracted New Zealander, Hugh McCutcheon to BYU who latter went on to coach both the mens and ladies USA Olympic Vball teams to gold medals. Yeah, that's right, when BYU has won national titles, they have had top foreign players who were attracted to BYU by an ultra prestigious coach, along side fabulous LDS California players like Ryan Millar. This year's team has some quality international players like Tim Dobbert, but it also has enough top LDS talent that we are mostly seeing the LDS talent start. Won't it be wonderful if BYU locks up the title this year with LDS talent.

Now, lets be clear, Carl McGown did not coach BYU to the 2004 national title. That was Tom Peterson. Peterson also won with international players (like he had at Penn St.) and with LDS talent from California. But, who trained Peterson, it was Carl McGown. Every single BYU mens Vball coach has been trained by Carl McGown. He is the constant thread. Carl knows how to train Vball players and Vball coaches. For example, the aforementioned Hugh McCutcheon was an assistant to Carl at BYU for about 7 years, when BYU won two national titles. No surprise that Hugh then had Carl assisting when Hugh coached first the ladies USA Olympic team to gold and then the mens. Oh and in case you didn't know, way back when, Carl McGown was the USA mens Olympic Vball coach. Yep, he is that prestigious.