Honors & Accomplishments
• 2007 Southern Conference Coach of the Year at Appalachian State.
• Coached 22 all-conference honorees, five AVCA All-Region honorees and one AVCA All-American.
• Teams earned 11 AVCA Team Academic awards.
• Posted four 20-win seasons and seven with at least 18 victories, recording a 207-238 career record.
Coaching Experience
• Assistant Coach, Cornell University (2022-present)
• Head Coach, Appalachia State University (2007-21)
• Associate Head Coach, University of Virginia (2007)
• Assistant Coach, University of Virginia (2001-06)
• Assistant Coach, University of Mississippi (2000-01)
• Assistant Coach, Virginia Tech University (1996-2000)
Education
• B.S., Psychology, Virginia Tech University (1993)
• M.S., Counselor Education, Radford University (2020)
At Cornell
Matt Ginipro, who most recently spent 15 years as a Division I head coach at Appalachian State, was named assistant volleyball coach at Cornell in April 2022.
Prior to Cornell
One of just two volleyball coaches in school history to post 200 career wins for the Mountaineers, Ginipro was the 2007 Southern Conference Coach of the Year and guided the team to the semifinals of the SoCon tournament three times. He coached and/or recruited the school's career leader in kills and digs, while three of his classes were ranked among the best in the country by PrepVolleyball.com. In all, he coached 22 all-conference honorees, five AVCA All-Region honorees and one AVCA All-American. In addition to his team's success on the court, Ginipro's squads have been highly successful in the classroom, earning 11 AVCA Team Academic awards.
The 2014 season was a historic one for the Mountaineers, opening with 13 consecutive victories, including a win over No. 24 Louisville. Appalachian finished 21-10 overall, one of four 20-win seasons under Ginipro. They went one better the following year, winning 22 matches with 16 consecutive triumphs and an appearance in the Sun Belt tournament finals after taking second in the regular season. Appalachian State claimed a Sun Belt East division title in 2018 with a 13-3 conference record and a 22-9 mark overall with an invitation to compete in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship. Ginipro closed his stay in Boone, N.C. with a 207-238 record that included had seven years with at least 18 victories.
Ginipro spent a dozen years in college coaching at Virginia (2001-07), where he also served as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, as well as stints at Ole Miss (2000-01) and Virginia Tech (1996-2000) prior to arriving at Appalachian State.
Virginia posted at least 19 wins in each of his final four seasons, with the 2006 squad finishing second in the ACC with a school-record 16 conference wins en route to a 23-8 mark. His 2007 recruiting class was named the highest honorable mention by PrepVolleyball.com.
In one season at Ole Miss, Ginipro helped the team to a spot in the SEC Tournament after winning just one league match the previous year. That came after four years on staff at his alma mater, Virginia Tech, including three as the top assistant.
Playing Career
Ginipro graduated from Virginia Tech in 1993 with a degree in psychology with a minor in sociology before earning a Master's degree in counselor education from Radford in 1996. As an undergrad, Ginipro was a member of Virginia Tech’s men’s club volleyball team and served as captain and coach for three seasons. He helped lead the Hokies to the 1992 and 1993 Collegiate Club Championships as the starting setter.
Personal
A native of Smithtown, N.Y., Ginipro and his wife Roxanne have two children, Kirsten Nicole and Nicholas Kyle.
*Updated April 2022
