With decades of experience at the collegiate level—including a long and successful run at the University of Michigan—Mark Rosen brings more than just technical knowledge to the court. Now at Clovis Community College, his coaching philosophy remains deeply rooted in something more enduring than wins and losses: values.
“The values of the program tend to separate the great programs from the good ones,” Rosen says. “The values of the players, the coaches, the administrators make a huge impact on the team. I think teams and programs with strong values tend to have better seasons, both in outcomes and in experiences.”
Programs that prioritize their core values, he explains, tend to create student-athlete experiences that are both positive and productive—something that’s shaped his coaching decisions across every level of competition.
While some players gravitate toward the flashier aspects of volleyball, Rosen encourages young athletes to focus on the skills that truly drive success.
“If I had to choose two skills, I would pick serving and passing. They aren’t the most exciting skills to practice or perform, but they tend to have the strongest impact on success. If you develop strong serving and passing skills, any coach who understands the game will find a way to get you into the line-up.”
It’s not about practicing what’s popular—it’s about doing what wins. When it comes to daily training, Rosen isn’t tied to traditional “drills.” Instead, he builds his practices around game-like situations.
“I’m not a big ‘drill’ guy. I design practice situations around the game and the things we are trying to teach our team at that time. I don’t have a lot of specific drills that we do… but we try to make sure it looks like what happens in the game. I can tell you that we serve and pass, in some form, every day in practice.”
For Rosen, leadership isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s about influence, and coaches play a key role in developing it.
“Leadership can look very different depending on the person doing the leading. Some are very visible and outward in their approach, some are more subtle. To me, leadership is the ability to effect another person and get them to move in a desired direction.”
But leadership can go either way. That’s why coaches need to be intentional about who holds those roles and how they’re supported.
“As a coach, you need to make sure you have the right people in leadership roles and give them the support, direction and coaching to be successful in that role. We need to teach leadership, just like we teach skills. Leadership is not a trait people are born with, it needs to be developed.”
Rosen often returns to a quote from Walt Whitman: “Be curious, not judgmental.” It’s become a guiding principle in how he works with athletes and how he approaches every challenge.
“As I’ve matured as a coach I find myself asking ‘why’ a lot more, rather than thinking I have the answers. If I see a player act in a way that I don’t think is good, I try to ask myself ‘why’, rather than think I know the reason for that act.”
If you’re just starting your coaching journey, Rosen’s advice is simple but powerful.
“Take every opportunity you can to work with great people who have more experience than you. Ask lots of questions, pay attention to everything they do and take lots of notes! Look for the positive in people and situations, nobody wants to be around a negative coach.”
And most importantly, stay true to who you are:
“Be yourself. It sounds really basic, but when I moved from being the assistant coach to the head coach at Cal State Bakersfield, it was something I had to learn the hard way!”
For Rosen, it’s impossible to choose a single favorite coaching memory, but a few highlights stand out.
“Too many years to pick just one! Attending a ton of weddings of former student-athletes over the years and watching them start their families. Seeing Freshman get their letter jackets and Seniors get their diplomas. Watching our Michigan team beat Stanford (for the 3rd time in 5 years) to go to the Final Four! Watching a young team of ours go into Hawaii for the first match of the season and succeed against a really good Hawaii team.”
While Rosen doesn’t dwell on the gear, he appreciates when equipment does its job without distraction.
“I actually don’t think I have ever coached at a university that didn’t use Sports Imports equipment. One of the best changes over the years was going to the lightweight carbon poles, they are amazing.”
What stands out most, he says, is reliability and the people behind the brand.
“The level of customer service we have always gotten from Sports Imports is what makes them a special company. You can tell they are Volleyball people. They know the game and they know what coaches and programs need.”
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