A No-Brainer

When David Rehr was first approached about the Houston Volleyball head coaching vacancy, there wasn't much for him to think about on what made the position appealing. It just made sense.

Houston is where his parents live and the proximity to being closer to family is something he wanted. Who wouldn't?

On top of that, the Bayou City has been Rehr's recruiting base for years and isn't keeping local talent nearby something every coach wants?

Yet, above everything else – the untapped potential of individual talent, the new volleyball facilities, the idea that Houston can be relevant – Rehr believes Houston is on the verge of becoming a program that everyone wants to be a part of.

"After meeting with the administration and the vision they have for the volleyball team, it was a no-brainer," the first-year Houston coach said. "The University of Houston Volleyball program is a sleeping giant and I want to be the one to wake it back up again."

The tools that Rehr needs to wake this sleeping giant are already there and Houston has all the resources to make the Cougars the program they once were. This offseason, the athletic department completed multiple facilities upgrades that has given the Cougars a complete facelift.

Along with a trio of new volleyball practice courts that covers 18,000-square feet and a new 4,500-square foot locker room featuring a players' lounge and nutrition center, this upcoming season will also find Houston in a new home, as the Cougars will play inside the $60-million Fertitta Center. The new Taraflex flooring that sits on top of the basketball court transforms the 7,035 seat arena into a volleyball environment, giving fans the opportunity to watch Houston Volleyball in a way they never have before.

"Playing on a volleyball-only surface is a rarity in the country," Rehr said. "Putting the money and resources into the Taraflex, putting money into the locker room and the wow factor that the Fertitta Center has looking at it on its own is second to none. The size is perfect. Everything about it is conducive for volleyball."

With the new facilities serving as the icing, the mix between experienced returners and talented newcomers are the ingredients that Rehr needs to make this cake even better. Schematically, he already has the personnel to run the fast-paced offense that has helped make him successful everywhere he's been.

His track record speaks for itself – a career record of 522-129 (.802) as a head coach, three tournament titles, along with two national championships – and he expects to continue his winning traditions while at the helm of the Houston program.

"I don't like to lose," Rehr said sternly. "We're going to change the culture here and find ways to be successful, versus excuses on why we lose."

Creating that new culture starts with finding players that not only want to play in Houston, but ones that want to play for Houston. His process to look for student-athletes that are willing to buy into the Houston culture – the city and everything that it stands for – starts with wanting to make them feel like they belong here, instead of feeling like they ended up here.

"It's about making sure the players you bring into your program are grateful to be there," Rehr said. "It's been my mantra for a long time, but we want people that want to be at Houston. We don't want people that just want to be at the Division I level."

Rehr's ability to connect with players and build relationships with them early on is what he attributes to his past successes. With his coaching career beginning at the community college level, roster turnover year in and year out became one of the biggest challenges he had to face, but showing he cared early is what made him a trusted figure to his players.

As he continued to win at the two-year level, turning Blinn College into a national powerhouse and winning a pair of national titles, Rehr was given his first Division I head coaching opportunity in 2012 when he became the head coach at Arkansas State. In his seven sevens leading the Red Wolves, Rehr compiled an overall record of 548-80 (.650), where he finished with a 84-25 (.771) mark in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), and prospered seven SBC Player of the Year honors.

Yet, with all of his successes, Rehr has always stayed true to his core values and what matters most him as a coach: the details. When you watch him conduct his up-tempo practices, Rehr isn't just standing on the sidelines watching his team run set plays. He engages with his players, making sure everything is performed with a mindset that strives for perfection.

"I think what it all comes down to is that hard work wins games," Rehr said. "Doing all the little things right and caring about the little things matter. We run a face-paced offense, we play great defense and I think that's something we can put in play here really quick and be successful with."

Upon accepting the position at Houston, what stood out to Rehr was what his roster already comprised of. A really good defensive team and a balanced offense that doesn't have a star player, something he finds as an asset rather than a crutch. He likes what he has, and to Rehr, it's just a manner of getting everyone on the same page and implementing his methods.

"We want to win, and we want to win for a while," Rehr said about the program's ambitions. "We want to play in December and keep that as a goal. That's going to be a change from what's been done in the past."

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