UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State men’s volleyball head coach Mark Pavlik, the fourth-winningest coach in the history of collegiate men’s volleyball, has announced that the 2026 season will be the final season of his illustrious career.
Pavlik, just the third head coach in the history of the Penn State men’s volleyball team, has compiled a career record of 694-241, winning over 74 percent of his matches. He leads all active National Collegiate Division (DI-II) head coaches with his win total and ranks fourth all time among all collegiate men's volleyball coaches. He led the Nittany Lions to a national title in 2008 and was rewarded with AVCA National Coach of the Year recognition. That was one of Penn State’s 25 appearances in the NCAA Tournament during his tenure in Happy Valley, which has resulted in four appearances in the championship match.
Penn State has dominated the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) during Pavlik’s 32 seasons at the helm, winning 25 EIVA Tournament titles and 27 regular season conference championships. He is a 10-time EIVA Coach of the Year, posting a remarkable 337-28 record in conference regular season matches.
“First and foremost, I’m really looking forward to this year with this group of guys on the team,” Pavlik said. “Thirty-plus years of doing anything is a long time, and I’ve been fortunate to do it at my alma mater with some great people over the years both on the staff and in the administration. Both athletic and institutional administration have really helped the program to grow and continue to get better. I feel really blessed to have been able to give back to the University in whatever manner I could.”
Pavlik has guided some of the nation's greatest student-athletes during his tenure. In 1997, he coached Ivan Contreras to AVCA Player of the Year recognition and, in 2008, Matt Anderson earned the same award, the first two times an Eastern player has earned the prestigious honor. Anderson went on to play in each of the past four Summer Olympic Games. Two other former players under Pavlik played with Anderson on the USA roster. Max Holt joined him for three Olympic Games, while Aaron Russell played in two.
Pavlik has coached 34 different players to 69 All-America awards. At least three of Pavlik's players have earned first- or second-team All-East/All-EIVA accolades in each season of his tenure as head coach of the Nittany Lions.
Beyond his accomplishments on the court, Pavlik is known as one of the most well-liked and well-respected coaches in the country. He has taken part in every coaching era in the program’s history. Pavlik was a setter under legendary head coach Tom Tait before graduating from Penn State in 1982. He returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach under Tom Peterson in 1990 and spent five seasons in that role before taking over as head coach in 1995.
A native of Derry, Pennsylvania, Pavlik served as an assistant to Derry High School coach Rich Schall from 1985-88. Derry won two state titles (1986, 1988) and finished second in 1987 and third in 1985. As head coach of a 17-and-under junior boys team in the York, Pennsylvania, area (1985-86), he led the team to a fourth-place finish at the national tournament.
From 1986-88, Pavlik worked with the South-Central Pennsylvania Girls Volleyball Association. He also served as an assistant coach for the women's teams at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Juniata College.
Pavlik’s final season at Penn State opens with four straight matches at Rec Hall, starting on Jan. 8 against Mount Olive. His final regular season match at Rec Hall is scheduled for April 18 against George Mason.