“It’s a little bittersweet when you’ve been flattering as long as well as ultimately feel it’s time to carry on to a various phase in your life,” Rubio, the longest-tenured train at Arizona as well as winningest volley ball train in program background, informed ESPN Tucson. “I’ve definitely been really privileged to be below at the College of Arizona for as lengthy as I have actually been.”

UA revealed Tuesday early morning that Rubio, that invested 31 years at the college as well as trained volley ball for 36 years at the college degree, is retiring reliable right away. He is anticipated to be recognized throughout among the males’s basketball video games today at McKale Facility.

Rubio had actually authorized an agreement expansion last April to train with the 2026 period. He was 62 at the time. He mentioned the group’s current loved one absence of success as one of numerous variables that led him to retire.

“It’s been a sluggish, steady procedure,” Rubio stated. “The last number of years it’s been a bit harder than it has in the past for a range of various factors. I assume the absence of success has actually definitely played right into the decision-making. This year was the 4th (successive) year that we didn’t make it to the postseason, which actually evaluated on me a fair bit. The lengthiest period of time that we had actually deficient to the postseason was 3 years straight. So it’s been challenging … actually considering that COVID has actually sort of affected every person’s lives.”

UA stated in a press release that the look for Rubio’s follower is underway.

“I intend to say thanks to Dave for his superior management of our volley ball program for 31 periods,” UA sports supervisor Dave Heeke stated in a declaration. “His mentoring profession placed him amongst the winningest volley ball instructors in NCAA as well as Pac-12 Meeting background while leaving a significant heritage below at Arizona. His period as leader of Arizona volley ball places him amongst the greats of the sporting activity as well as amasses regard from his peers throughout the nation as well as around the world.

“Dave directed generations of student-athletes to come to be scholastic, sports as well as life champs. He is a real Wildcat as well as an impressive ambassador for the College of Arizona as well as the Southern Arizona area, an individual of course as well as honesty, as well as most of us desire him the very best in retired life.”

Rubio’s general document was 692-446 — a 61% win price. He trained Arizona to 20 NCAA looks, the last one being available in 2018, when the Wildcats shed in a first-round competition to Missouri. The Wildcats completed 16-15 this previous period as well as upright a high note, removing competing ASU in 5 embed in Tempe.

Rubio is the 11th-winningest energetic D1 train. He leads all Pac-12 instructors with 570 victories as well as is just the 2nd train in organization background to win 500 profession suits.

He led Arizona to a Last 4, 4 Elite 8 looks as well as 8 journeys to the Sugary food 16. In 2000, the Wildcats won the Pac-10 title.

That year, Rubio signed up with a list of just 7 various other UA instructors that have actually been called a National Train of the Year: Tommy Lloyd (males’s basketball), Lute Olson (males’s basketball), Frank Busch (swimming), Mike Candrea (softball), Dave Murray (males’s cross nation), Todd McCorkle (ladies’s golf) as well as Jerry Kindall (baseball).

Rubio kept in mind that it was “time for me to retire” in the UA’s press release. He took place to say thanks to all those in the Arizona Sports management that assisted him in the process, consisting of Heeke, Jim Livengood, Greg Byrne, Cedric Dempsey as well as Rocky LaRose, that employed him.

Rubio said thanks to LaRose individually for mentoring him, as well as UA manager Suzy Mason, that “constantly made my work less complicated.”

Rubio trained a that’s-that of leading gamers, a lot of whom were All-Americans, consisting of Kim Glass, Bre Ladd, Dana Burkholder, Kendra Dahlke, Devyn Cross, Penina Snuka, Madi Kingdon, Jennifer Abernathy, as well as Jill Talbot.

Rubio’s gamers made many honors, consisting of Pac-10 Gamer of the Year, Pac-12 Setter of the Year, Pac-10/12 Fresher of the Year (two times), all-conference (34), all-conference fresher group (15), scholastic all-conference (68) as well as seminar gamer of the week (47).

“I intend to directly say thanks to all the student-athletes that have actually added to our program,” Rubio stated. “It has actually been an advantage to train the gamers that picked to participate in as well as complete at Arizona.

“I owe a financial debt of thankfulness to all the aide instructors that have actually assisted me expand as well as motivate me along this trip, including my sports instructor, Emily Johnson, that has actually been with me for over 15 years.

“I intend to particularly thank my associate head train, Charita Stubbs, that has actually been with me for over two decades as a previous gamer as well as aide. I valued your commitment as well as knowledge.”

Before mentoring at Arizona, Rubio invested 5 years at the helm of Cal State Bakersfield as well as led the Roadrunners to 3 successive top-five surfaces, consisting of 2 Last Fours, as well as won the 1989 DII championship game.

“An unique many thanks to my other half as well as youngsters that have actually just understood me as the head train at Arizona,” Rubio stated. “I eagerly anticipate being a much better papa as well as spouse in the following phase of my life.”