WASHINGTON — One of the top college volleyball coaches in the country, and a staple of American University athletics, Barry Goldberg lost his battle with cancer at the age of 61.
Goldberg announced his cancer diagnosis back in February of 2022.
"Barry's commitment to AU, our volleyball program and extended university community was unmatched. Anyone who interacted with Barry came away a better person," AU athletic director Dr. Billy Walker said in a press statement.
For 34 years, Goldberg led Eagles volleyball, earning 10 Coach of the Year awards to go along with 16 Patriot League Championships and 18 NCAA Tournament appearances. His 812 career victories place him fourth among active NCAA Division I coaches.
Under Goldberg, the Eagles had a history of success in the postseason. In 2013, AU advanced to NCAA volleyball's Sweet 16 with wins over Duke and Georgia. In 2015, the Eagles ousted Kentucky from the tournament. Goldberg's program is the only Patriot League member to ever win a match in the NCAA Tournament.
Last month, the 2019 Eagles' Hall of Famer was honored with a $3 million gift toward the naming of "Barry Goldberg Court" at the newly built Melzer Center for Athletic Performance on the AU campus.
Goldberg, along with his wife Bonnie, founded the annual Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic in 2007, a tournament featured by WUSA back in 2015.
The family will hold a public funeral on Tuesday, March 28 at the Garden of Remembrance in Clarksburg, Maryland at 3:30 p.m. A public memorial held by family to celebrate Goldberg's life and career will be held at a later date.