Mike O’Hara, 2017

Mike O’Hara, 2017

Mike O’Hara attended Santa Monica HS, then Santa Monica College, and finished his college volleyball career at UCLA under Harry Nelson (Mike has a USC MBA). He was a Bruin two-time college All-American in 1953 & 54 and won two USVBA national titles (after Coach Wooden turned him down for basketball). After college he was a 12-time USVBA All-American and played an integral part on 15 USVBA title teams. He was twice named MVP. Internationally he played on the USA Gold Medal winning 1959 Pan-American Games team and the 1963 silver medal squad that he captained. He was also an integral part of the first USA Olympic Team in 1964 at age 32.

O’Hara was recognized with the USVBA ‘Great Player’ award in 1967 and was later selected for the International VB HOF in 1989. He stayed active in volleyball after his retirement as a player. This included being a USVBA Board member, a national referee, sport broadcaster, a college coach and maybe most significantly working as the Executive Director of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games where the USA won its first volleyball Gold Medal. He was an Olympic consultant for the 1988 Seoul Olympic Organizing Committee and worked with the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Organizing Committee. He has also helped start a youth foundation and has been a published author.