Oleksandr “Sasha” Gutor began working as an assistant coach for the Big Red volleyball team prior to the 2008 season. Gutor spent the previous five seasons as the head coach for both the men’s and women’s volleyball programs at Mount Olive College.
Gutor compiled a 79-56 record with his women’s team at Mount Olive, and led the Trojans to the NCAA Division II volleyball championship in 2004 and 2005. His men’s team posted a 42-37 record under his leadership, including a 32-12 mark in his final two seasons. In 2008, the Trojans picked up their first-ever wins over a Division I opponent when they defeated Harvard twice.
In 2006, Gutor served as head coach of the Ukrainian Women’s Volleyball National team. The Ukraine advanced to its first European qualifier, before losing in a playoff in a bid to reach the 2008 Olympics. In 2003, Gutor spent a season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Penn State men’s varsity volleyball team.
Gutor spent two years with Texas Advantage Volleyball Club, in Dallas, Texas. He served as the head volleyball coach for the club’s junior and women’s teams. Gutor led Texas Advantage Volleyball to a bronze medal at the 2002 women’s USA National Championship.
Prior to living in Texas, Gutor gained extensive international experience coaching volleyball. He served as head coach for the Ukrainian Junior National Volleyball team for 10 years, while preparing over 25 players to move on to professional teams. Gutor was also at the helm of the USSR Junior National Volleyball Team for three seasons, and was the head coach for the Petrochema Men’s Volleyball Team in the Slovakian Elite Professional League. He has also coached elite teams in Hungary and the United Arab Emirates.
Before moving into the coaching ranks, Gutor spent seven seasons with the Ukrainian Men’s National Volleyball Team and was ranked among the top 25 players in the USSR. During that time, he also played in the Locomotive Elite Professional Volleyball League in Kiev, Ukraine. Gutor received his master’s degree in physical education at the Ukrainian State Academy of Physical Education.
Gutor’s wife, Iryna Dolgikh, is the head fencing coach at Cornell. His daughter, Olena, played volleyball for St. John’s before transferring to Penn State, and now works for Cornell's athletic alumni affairs and development and serves as an administrative assistant for the Big Red fencing program. His son, Alex, was a four-year starter for the Penn State men’s volleyball team, which advanced to the NCAA Division I Men’s Volleyball national semifinals four consecutive years and now plays professionally in Europe.
