The Hall of Fame career of Mark Pavlik now has an end date.
The longtime Penn State coach announced that he will retire at the end of the 2026 season.
Pavlik enters his final season fourth all-time in college men’s volleyball history with 694 career wins. The coach in 32 seasons has led the Nittany Lions to 27 EIVA regular season titles, 25 NCAA Tournament appearances, four NCAA Tournament finals appearances and an NCAA championship.
“Thirty-plus years of doing anything is a long time, and I’ve been fortunate to do it at my alma mater with some great people over the years both on the staff and in the administration,” Pavlik said in a statement. “Both athletic and institutional administration have really helped the program to grow and continue to get better. I feel really blessed to have been able to give back to the University in whatever manner I could.”
Pavlik first arrived to Penn State as a setter and helped lead the Nittany Lions to the NCAA Tournament before graduating in 1982. He then returned to the school in 1990 to be an assistant coach under Tom Peterson.
Penn State with Pavlik as assistant coach won the 1994 NCAA championship – becoming the first non-West Coast school to win the national title.
Pavik was elevated to the team’s head coach following that championship season.
The Nittany Lions under Pavlik have won more than a .740 winning percentage. The team also in 2008 with Pavlik at the helm won its second NCAA championship program history.
Along with the national title, Pavlik that season was named the National Coach of the Year.
Penn State enters the final season of the Pavlik era as the three-time defending EIVA champions. The Nittany Lions return a majority of starters after winning the 2025 EIVA Tournament as the No. 3 seed and then reaching the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.