MALIBU, California – Pepperdine Athletics mourns the passing of former men's volleyball head coach Harlan Cohen, who passed away last Thursday at the age of 85 after complications due to pneumonia.
 
Cohen was the head coach of the 1975 and 1976 squads – the fifth and sixth teams in program history. His teams went a combined 23-9 (.718). The 1976 Waves tied for first in the SCIVA and advanced to the NCAA Championships for the first time in program history, where they finished runner-up to UCLA. His team also won the 1975 USVBA championship.
 
Cohen later served multiple stints as an assistant coach at Pepperdine, first in 1985 (when the Waves won the NCAA title) and again from 1992 to 2003 (with the Waves winning the NCAA championship in 1992).
 
Cohen had previously served as the head coach of the U.S. men's and women's national teams, including the U.S. women's Olympic team in 1968 and the gold-medal-winning women's team at the 1967 Pan American Games. He was an assistant coach for the U.S. men at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics. He also coached at Santa Monica College from 1961 to 1972. He was an assistant coach at UCLA from 1986-91 (winning two more NCAA championships).
 
Cohen received the George J. Fisher Leader in Volleyball award from USA Volleyball in 1999. In 2000, he was given an All-Time Great Volleyball Coach Award from USA Volleyball in the pioneer division. USA Volleyball also recognized him as one of 17 coaches for its 75th Anniversary All-Era Team. He was slated to be inducted into the Southern California Indoor Volleyball Hall of Fame this year.
 
Cohen was a 1958 graduate from Cal State LA.