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  Rita Buck-Crockett
Rita Buck-Crockett

Position:
Associate Head Coach
Experience:
2nd Season
Alma Mater:
Iowa - 2002

Rita Buck-Crockett was hired as associate head coach on March 9, 2004. Buck-Crockett comes to Florida State from a long line of sucess as both a player and a coach at all levels. She most recently served as head coach at the University of Iowa from 1998-2003.

In her six seasons at the University of Iowa, Buck-Crockett had three all-Big Ten selections including an all-region member and an all-USA Team selection. In 2001, Buck-Crockett coached Sarah Meyermann to an AVCA Mideast all-Region selection and all-Big Ten team member. Meyermann, an outside hitter, finished the season with 578 kills to rank sixth nationally. In 2000, Buck-Crockett and her coaching staff guided the Hawkeyes to a 15-win season, the most victories of an Iowa volleyball team since 1994. Buck-Crockett coached senior setter Fabiana de Abreu to the all-Big Ten team.

As a nationally respected coach, Buck-Crockett comes to FSU with a long history of success. She was a member of the 1980 and 1984 U.S. Olympic Volleyball teams with the 1984 team winning the silver medal. Buck-Crockett was also considered one of the best all-around volleyball players in the world. A 1984 issue of Sports Illustrated touted her as the world's best athlete and nicknamed her "The Rocket," because of her 42-inch vertical leap and her 100 mile-per-hour kills. In 1981, she was one of six players selected to the All-World Team. She has coached and played in the U.S., Japan, Italy and Switzerland over the last 17 years.

Buck-Crockett earned AIAW All-America honors at the University of Houston prior to joining the U.S. Olympic team to train for the 1980 Olympics. In 1981, she led the U.S. to a bronze medal at the World Cup in Osaka, Japan, and in 1982, that team won the bronze medal at the World Championships in Lima, Peru.

From 1982-86, Buck-Crockett was a member of the Daiei Team in Kobe, Japan. Her 1986 Daiei squad was the champion of the Japan League. She played beach volleyball on the Women's Professional Volleyball Association Tour from 1988-96 and played Major League Volleyball from 1986-87. Buck-Crockett was also a Major League Volleyball champion in both 1986 and 1987 and earned league MVP honors in 1986. In 1986, she teamed with Jackie Silva of Brazil to win the World Beach Volleyball Championship. The following season she was the league runner-up with Angela Rock (United States). From 1988 until 1993, she was a player for Matera, a professional league team in Matera, Italy, and also played in Rome. In 1991, she was voted the MVP of the Italian League, and her 1993 Rome team won the European Championship.

From 1993-98, Buck-Crockett coached and played in Switzerland for RTV Basel. During her tenure, her squads won titles including the Swiss Cup (1994-1996), the Swiss Championship (1995-1996) and participated in the European Cup of Champions (1995). Buck-Crockett was named most valuable player four times. In the summers of 2000 through 2002, Buck-Crockett was one of only three collegiate head coaches to coach some of the elite youth talent in the country at the USA Youth High Performance Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Salt Lake City and at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Buck-Crockett received a Bachelor of Liberal Studies/Communications degree from the University of Iowa in August of 2002. Buck-Crockett is married to Rene' Buck and is the proud parent of 16-year-old Marrita Royster-Crockett. 


Coaching Experience
1986-88 Assistant Coach - Long Beach State University
1993-98 RTV Basel Regional Athletic Club (Player-Coach)
1995 Switzerland National Team
1998-2003 Head Coach - University of Iowa (50-123, 25-95 Big Ten)
2000 Head Coach at USA U-14 High Performance Camp in Salt Lake City
2001 Head Coach at USA High Performance Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs
2002 Head Coach at USA High Performance Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs




International/Professional Experience
1978-84 USA Olympic & National Team
1982-86 Daiei Team, Kobe (Japan)
1986-87 Major League Volleyball (USA)
1988-93 Matera and Rome (Italy)
1988-93 WPVA (Women's Professional Volleyball)
1994-95 AVP (American Volleyball Professional)
1993-98 Switzerland - Player/Coach
2000-01 USA Volleyball High Performance Staff




Honors & Achievements
1980 Member of the USA Olympic Team (Boycott)
1981 Voted All-World Team
1981 Bronze Medal, World Cup in Osaka, Japan
1982 Bronze Medal, World Championships in Lima, Peru
1984 Silver Medal, Olympic Games in Los Angeles
1986 Champions of the Japan League
1986 Major League Volleyball Champion (USA)
1986 MVP Major League Volleyball
1987 Major League Volleyball Champion (USA)
1989 World Champion Beach Volleyball
1991 Voted MVP of the Italian League
1993 European Champion (Rome)
1994-95 Voted by Sports Journalist "Best Player in Switzerland"
1994-96 Swiss Cup Champion
1995-96 Swiss Champion
1995 European Cup of Champions
1994-95 Voted by Sports Journalist "Best Player in Switzerland"
1994-96 Swiss Cup Champion
1995-96 Swiss Champion
1995 European Cup of Champions
1999 Inducted San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame
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