Hofstra Athletics Hall of Fame
FRAN KALAFER
Fran Kalafer closed her 25-year Hofstra coaching career in July 2006 with a record of 590-316 and had a 612-343 overall mark in 28 seasons, including three at Stony Brook University. One of the winningest coaches in collegiate volleyball and an inaugural inductee into the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Hall of Fame, Fran was 11th among active coaches on the Division I victory list before retiring.
In her final season in Hempstead, Fran led Hofstra to a 19-8 overall record and a 16-2 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) mark. The Pride won the regular season conference title, and setter Shellane Ogoshi earned CAA Player and Setter of the Year honors. In 2004 she guided Hofstra to a 19-10 mark, including advancing to the conference tournament for the 12th consecutive season, and was named the CAA Coach of the Year for her efforts.
During her Hofstra tenure, Fran coached five NCAA Tournament teams, four National Invitational Volleyball Championship squads and 14 conference championship teams. She also saw numerous players earn postseason accolades, including three AVCA District All-Americans, 13 CoSIDA District Academic All-Americans and two CoSIDA Academic All-Americans.
Taking over the reigns at Hofstra in 1981, Fran recorded 22 winning seasons. She had four teams break the 30-win barrier and 18 teams record at least 20 victories in a season.Â
1995 was the first of three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, as Fran led her teams to America East titles in 1996 and 1997 to take advantage of the league's automatic bid. After a one-year absence from the NCAA Tournament (1998), she led her 1999 squad to a 26-6 record, an America East championship and another NCAA appearance. Fran was named Tachikara/AVCA District I Coach of the Year for her efforts. She followed that up with a 23-11 record in 2000, a conference championship and a NCAA Tournament bid.
In 2003 Fran was part of the inaugural class inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame. In December 2001 she received one of the highest accolades in her sport when she was honored with the 2001 AVCA Founders Award. This national award honors individuals who have been involved in the advancement of the sport of volleyball, whether it be in coaching, playing, publicity, administration or management. In 1998 Fran was the Nassau County Sports Commission Female Coach of the Year.
Fran twice received special recognition by the Hofstra Alumni Organization. Most recently, she received the 2004 Hofstra University Honorary Alumna Award and, in 1997, the Kathleen Trouve Martin Award for outstanding service to Hofstra University.
Fran is a 1973 graduate of SUNY-Cortland, where she played tennis. Following graduation, she began her highly successful volleyball-coaching career at Smithtown East High School, compiling an impressive 91-10 record over seven seasons.
From 1978 to 1981, Fran coached volleyball and taught in the physical education department at SUNY-Stony Brook. In her short tenure at SUNY-Stony Brook, she turned a 4-9 squad into a 13-8 intercollegiate competitor that achieved a number six ranking in New York State in 1980.
Fran was inducted into the Smithtown High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 for superior athletic achievement in competition, becoming the first non-Smithtown graduate to receive this distinction.
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