Al Scates attended Westchester HS while starting to play for the Hollywood YMCA team for USVBA competition. He then embarked on an All-American playing career for UCLA. He just missed making both the 1964 and 1968 USA Olympic teams while contributing to the USA National Team from 1965-67. He won a gold medal playing for the USA in the 1967 Pan-American Games. Coaching became his passion and he became the most successful in NCAA history while being in charge of the UCLA men’s program for 50 years (1963-2012). The Bruins won a record 19 NCAA titles from 1970-2006 (1970, 71, 72, 74, 75, 76, 79, 81, 82, 83, 84, 87, 89, 93, 95, 96, 98, 2000, 06) and also won two USVBA titles in 1965 & 67. During his Bruin coaching career, Scates posted a 1239-290 all-time record, with an .810 winning percentage. Scates coached the only three unbeaten seasons in NCAA men’s history (1979, 1982 & 84).

Scates also set NCAA records with 48 straight victories, 83 consecutive home court wins, 14 straight NCAA playoff wins and is the only person to ever coach four straight NCAA men’s titles (1981-84) and three straight (1970-72, 1974-76). He has assisted the USA program internationally with his scouting skills. He is a 1993 member of the International VB HOF and was the first recipient of USA Volleyball’s ‘All-Time Great Volleyball Coaches’ award. The Los Angeles City HS Hall of Fame selection was one of the coaches for USA Volleyball’s All-Era 75th Anniversary Team (1978-2003). He made the AVCA HOF in 2004 and was recently selected as the Pac-12 Coach of the 20th Century.