By Jon Ackerman

Among the most touching stories of the 2008 Olympics was Hugh McCutcheon. 

The coach led the U.S. men's volleyball squad to its first gold medal since 1988, and did so amidst unthinkable tragedy. The parents of his wife were inexplicably attacked on the first day of the Games; his father-in-law was killed, and his mother-in-law suffered life threatening wounds but survived.

McCutcheon missed his team's first three matches so he could be with his family. The U.S. won all three, and then never stopped winning. The Americans knocked off mighty Brazil for gold.

His players saw that performance as the beginning of a long run atop the world game. McCutcheon, however, saw no way to repeat the success, so he opted for new challenge. He took over the U.S. women, seeking to bring that program its first-ever Olympic gold.

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The ladies entered the 2012 Games as the No. 1 team in the world, and further established themselves as favorites by cruising through pool play and reaching the gold medal-match. And then they took the first set from Brazil in dominating fashion, 25-11. Somehow, though, the Brazilians recovered to shock the Americans, taking the next three sets – and the gold medal. 

Though he nearly claimed two gold medals, McCutcheon still left with the distinction of being the only person to coach both the men's and women's U.S. teams to Olympic medals. 

Then he disappeared.

Well, not really. McCutcheon just immediately left the elite international scene and moved up north. He took over the women's volleyball program at the University of Minnesota.

His success there hasn't been as instantaneous. But success he's still finding.

The U of M program had long been an established conference and national contender before McCutcheon arrived. So it wasn't just because of him that the squad posted a 27-8 record in 2012 and advanced to an NCAA Regional Final. The Gophers improved to 29-7 the next year, but fell in an NCAA Regional Semifinal.

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They missed the postseason altogether in 2014, the first time it had done that since 1998. But it set the stage for a remarkable recovery in 2015. Minnesota went 28-4 and advanced the NCAA's Final Four, its first appearance in the national semifinals since 2009.  

Unfortunately, McCutcheon and his team then fell to Texas. But it was still a good run. It gives Minnesota something to build on in 2016.

And the program knows it can grow with McCutcheon because he's not going anywhere. He left his posts with the U.S. national teams because he sought more work-life balance. He's getting that in Minneapolis, where his family – wife Elisabeth Bachman, children Andrew, 5, and Annika, 3 – can be a bigger part of Hugh's teams.

That atmosphere should continue to include a lot of winning. Thirteen of the 15 girls from last year's stellar squad return, and 12 of those 13 got a small taste of the U.S. national team by attending the 2016 National Team Open Tryouts. They were the largest contingent of any Division I team.

Fancy that. Even after leaving the national program, McCutcheon is still helping supply it with talent.