UNC volleyball head coach Joe Sagula is retiring after 33 seasons with the program, Carolina announced Monday morning. Sagula has won 10 ACC championships (seven regular-season, three tournament) with the Tar Heels.

“As I made this decision to retire, my main focus was to ensure that I leave this program in a strong position to continue to compete for championships, and I feel that timing is right,” Sagula said in a statement. “It has been an honor to coach at Carolina and I’m very proud of the strong foundation we have built over many years to become a nationally competitive program, and with a terrific squad of players returning and talented recruits coming in, this program is primed to continue to do great things.”

After joining the Tar Heels in 1990, Sagula led the team to 15 NCAA Tournaments. Carolina posted a 662-384 record in his tenure, and Sagula’s 865 wins made him the third most-winningest active head coach in college volleyball at the time of his retirement. He is also among the top 20 in all-time wins in Division 1 volleyball. In addition, Sagula holds ACC records for most regular-season championships (seven) and most regular-season wins (364). Carolina finished among the top three in the ACC 14 times.

“Joe’s long commitment to Carolina and the sport of volleyball shows not only in his program’s success on the court, but also in his student-athletes’ success off of it,’’ said UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham. “He has been a dedicated teacher and mentor to his teams and a leader within our Department and University. He leaves our volleyball program in a strong position for the future, and we wish Joe all the best in retirement.”

Sagula coached five ACC Players of the Year, two ACC Defensive Players of the Year and five ACC Freshmen of the Year. Twenty-two of his players have earned All-America nods and 82 have earned All-ACC honors.

Sagula was inducted into the NC Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2020. In 2022, he was named one of 50 Champions of Carolina Women’s Athletics.

“With Joe’s retirement, Carolina Athletics and the sport of volleyball loses an extraordinary coach, lifelong mentor, and dedicated teacher,’’ said UNC chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz. “His commitment to his players and excellence on and off the field has been an inspiration for our entire campus community. We are grateful for his legacy and the strong foundation he has built for our volleyball program’s future.”

A national search for the program’s next coach will begin immediately, with Sagula remaining the head coach until a successor is named.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Sports: Field Hockey Beats No. 8 Duke in Overtime, Volleyball Upsets No. 7 SMU
On a frenzied Friday night in Chapel Hill, the UNC field hockey and volleyball teams each picked up thrilling ranked wins. At Karen Shelton Stadium, the top-ranked Tar Heels hosted No. 8 Duke in the regular-season finale for both teams. But the Blue Devils threatened the steal the thunder early, opening the scoring midway through […]
UNC Sports: Men's Soccer Loses, Women's Soccer Wins, Volleyball Splits Weekend Homestand
It was a busy weekend of Olympic sports for UNC, with the men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball teams all in action. In men’s soccer, the Tar Heels fell at Syracuse Saturday afternoon after the Orange netted a goal in the 36th minute. Carolina pressed for an equalizer hard in the second half, totaling 13 […]
UNC Sports: Field Hockey, Volleyball, Men's Soccer All Win
The UNC field hockey, volleyball and men’s soccer teams were in action during the weekend, and all came away with wins. Following up on its comeback win at No. 9 Syracuse Friday, the field hockey team stayed in upstate New York as it traveled to Cornell for a non-conference matchup. The Tar Heels overwhelmed the […]
UNC Volleyball Debuts New Court at Carmichael Arena
The UNC volleyball program revealed a new sport-specific, Taraflex court at Carmichael Arena earlier this week. Previously, the Tar Heels had played on a dual-use court shared with the women’s basketball program. It’s here and it’s perfect! pic.twitter.com/RDDYoxEke1 — Carolina Volleyball (@UNCVolleyball) October 15, 2025 Taraflex, described as “the first choice for volleyball flooring,” provides […]
UNC Sports: Volleyball, Field Hockey Win; Women's Soccer Falls at Duke
Plenty of UNC Olympic sports teams were in action Sunday, as the field hockey and volleyball teams picked up big wins while the women’s soccer team lost at Duke. In volleyball, the Tar Heels traveled down to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech and came away with their first win against the Yellow Jackets since 2017. […]
UNC Volleyball Sweeps Doubleheader vs. Duke, Now 4-0 in ACC Play
Carolina won two matches in the span of four days against rival Duke this week, beating the Blue Devils first in Chapel Hill and then in Durham to stay unbeaten in conference play this season. In Wednesday’s match at Carmichael Arena, strong performances from Safi Hampton and Hailey Pearce propelled the Tar Heels to a […]
UNC Volleyball Beats Wake Forest, NC State to Begin ACC Play
Carolina earned home wins against in-state rivals Wake Forest and NC State at Carmichael Arena during the weekend, sending the Tar Heels off to a 2-0 start in ACC play this season. Against the Demon Deacons on Friday, the Tar Heels led from the start in a three-set sweep. A 5-0 run late in the […]
UNC Volleyball Sweeps No. 11 Florida, Improves to 5-0 to Begin 2025 Season
Carolina earned its biggest regular-season win of head coach Mike Schall’s tenure Tuesday night in Carmichael Arena, sweeping No. 11 Florida in three sets as part of the ACC-SEC Showdown at the Net. Worked ‘em silly😏#GoHeels | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/AgyqudaApa — Carolina Volleyball (@UNCVolleyball) September 10, 2025 UNC took the lead midway through the opening set […]
UNC Volleyball Beats Maryland and Coastal Carolina in First Matches of 2025
The UNC volleyball team earned a pair of four-set wins in Conway, S.C. during the weekend against Maryland and hosts Coastal Carolina to begin the 2025 season. In the season opener against the Terrapins Saturday, the Tar Heels rebounded from a 25-21 defeat in the opening seat to win the next three sets all by […]
UNC Volleyball Reveals 2025 Regular Season Schedule
On the heels of an NCAA Tournament appearance and first-round victory in 2024, the UNC volleyball program has announced its regular season schedule for the 2025 campaign. The moment you’ve all been waiting for 👀 Our 2025 schedule is finally here‼️ pic.twitter.com/ZP2DwvUGMG — Carolina Volleyball (@UNCVolleyball) July 21, 2025 UNC’s season begins with a pair […]
›