Nagy Abdelrazek Resigns As Women’s Volleyball Coach
Image courtesy of Catholicathletics.com
By Jared Prenda
Head Women’s Volleyball Coach Nagy Abdelrazek resigned from his position after 27 years in the role.
It is the end of an era for the Catholic University women’s volleyball team as head coach Nagy Abdelrazek resigned on Wednesday, January 29. Abdelrazek oversaw the women’s team for 27 years after taking the helm in 1993 but resigned in order to pursue other professional opportunities. During his tenure, the volleyball team won 578 games and posted 19 winning seasons.
Abdelrazek earned plenty of hardware during his time as the Cardinals’ skipper. He won 5-conference coach of the year awards between his time in the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) and the Landmark Conference. Abdekrazek brought Catholic to the NCAA Division III National Tournament twice and won 3 conference titles.
In a statement given to the Catholic University Athletics website, Abdelrazek reflected on his time at CUA.
“Catholic University is a very special place for me and will always be in my heart,” said Abdelrazek. “The relationships I developed will last a lifetime. It wasn’t just about volleyball, but about a caring friendship that so many of us enjoyed. I am proud of everyone I coached throughout my time at Catholic.”
Players on Abdelrazek’s teams produced excellence on and off of the court. Close to 50 players were named to All-Conference teams, including 24 First-Team nominations. Off the court, 65 players were named to the All-Landmark Academic Honor Roll, and in 2012 and 2013 the Cardinals had the league’s Senior Scholar-Athlete. Some athletes even exceeded these honors with two players being named to the CAC Silver Anniversary Team and one making the Landmark Conference All-Decade team. More individual awards include three Rookies of the Year, and one Player of the Year.
Junior Captain Joya Libbus has been one of Abdelrazek’s best players over the past few seasons and shows deep respect for her coach’s decision.
“Nagy has been with Catholic U for 27 seasons and has been by our side our entire college career. He cares about each and every one of us deeply and is widely known and loved around campus,” said Libbus. “It took a while for us to process the news, but we all wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors. We love him and will miss him, but he has assured me that he will come to games next season!”A more detailed outline of Abdelrazek’s journey to Catholic and his quarter-century with the team can be read in a Tower profile of the coach. It details his beginnings as a player in Alexandria, Egypt to his time as Catholic’s head coach. The athletics department has announced that a national search for a new head coach and a new hire should be announced prior to the non-traditional spring schedule.
