Mike Bruno - Volleyball Head Coach   (Twitter @MBrunoVBCoach)

mbruno@pointpark.edu
(412) 392-3926

8th year at Point Park (169-98)
13th year overall (285-156)
Alma mater: Robert Morris ('90)

2011 AVCA-NAIA Northeast Region Coach of the Year
2011 AMC Coach of the Year
2006 AMC North Division Coach of the Year
2004 PAC Coach of the Year
2003 PAC Coach of the Year
2000 PAC Coach of the Year

Mike Bruno is in his eighth year as head coach of the Point Park University volleyball team. He has a record of 169-98 in his first seven years at the school (2005-11).

During his time at Point Park, he has built the Pioneers into a very strong program. Most recently, Point Park made its first appearance in the NAIA National Tournament with a record fo 36-6 in 2011. They also won their first American Mideast Conference Tournament Championship this past year.

With the team success of the Pioneers, Bruno was named American Volleyball Coaches Association NAIA Northeast Region Coach of the Year in 2011. He was also the AMC Coach of the Year in 2011.

Under Bruno's guidance, Point Park has made the American Mideast Conference playoffs five of the last six years. A 12-year veteran of the college coaching ranks, he is just 15 wins shy of 300 for his career with 285 victories. He is among the top-25 active NAIA volleyball head coaches in career wins (285) and career winning percentage (.646).

In his 12 years as a volleyball coach, he has been named Conference Coach of the Year five times. His most-recent honor in that area was being chosen the American Mideast Conference Coach of the Year in 2011. It was the second time for that award in the AMC.

Not only has Point Park been successful on the NAIA level, it has also experienced a strong record versus NCAA Division II opponents. The Pioneers 38-9 versus NCAA DII competition since the start of the 2009 season.

Bruno is the all-time leader in victories for the Point Park volleyball program with a record of 169-98 in six seasons coaching the Pioneers.

In the three years prior to his arrival, Point Park was 0-18 in each of those seasons. Two years later, Bruno started the Pioneers on their streak of making the playoffs in five of six seasons.

In 2006, his second season at Point Park, he was chosen Coach of the Year for the American Mideast Conference North Division after leading the Pioneers to the first AMC tournament appearance in school history. 

Also a coach to cultivate outstanding achievement academically, Bruno's squad ranked 8th in all of the NAIA with five players named NAIA Scholar-Athletes in 2010. A student-athletes must have a 3.5 GPA and be at least a junior for that honor.

Starting in 2008, Bruno created Point Park's Gold Team, which serves as a developmental team to the Pioneers' varsity squad. The Gold Team has provided an opportunity for underclassman to develop skills in live-game action.

Prior to coming to Point Park, Bruno spent five years as head coach at NCAA Division III member Waynesburg University, where we had a record of 116-58 (.666). Bruno was chosen Coach of the Year in the President's Athletic Confernece in 2003 and 2004 while leading the Yellow Jackets to consecutive conference championships. He was also Coach of the Year in 2000, his first season at Waynesburg. 

His 2003 Waynesburg team went 36-5 overall and 10-0 in the PAC, and won 28 matches in a row. That year, Bruno led the Yellow Jackets to the ECAC Division III South Region championship game. In 2002, Bruno's squad went 24-11 and reached the PAC title game. 

While at Waynesburg, Bruno was instrumental in developing conference Players of the Year in 2003 and 2004. In all, Bruno coached seven all-conference players at Waynesburg, and had at least two players selected in each of his five years. 

Bruno was an assistant coach at California (Pa.) for two years from 1998-99. 

Bruno serves as the director of the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Volleyball Club, which he has built into one of the strongest club volleyball organizations in Western Pennsylvania.

His volleyball playing experience includes action with the USA Volleyball organization since 1995, and his team placed third in its division of the Ohio Valley Region in 2003. 

A graduate of Robert Morris, Bruno was a two-time all-conference performer in cross country and he received his bachelor's degree in sports management in 1990. The Apollo native graduated from Kiski Area High School in 1986. 

Bruno and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Cecil, Pa., with their daughters Carly and Cassie.

To get to know coach Bruno and his family, watch the video below, which documents the "Volley for Vision" program that was started by Point Park volleyball. Volley for Vision raises money and awareness for ROPARD, the leading organization for blindness in children:

BRUNO’S COACHING RESUME