Hall of Fame
Regarded as one of the greatest volleyball coaches in NCAA history, Dr. Iradge Ahrabi-Fard is considered an innovator on the college, national and international footprints.
A native of Iran, he served as UNI women’s volleyball head coach for 19 seasons, posting a 503-142-4 record and recording at least 20 victories in 17 of his years. He helped the Panther program make a highly successful transition from NCAA Division II competition to Division I.
A member of the inaugural Hall of Fame class for the American Volleyball Coaches Association in 2003, Ahrabi-Fard saw his teams collect 10 conference titles, eight league tournament crowns, eight NCAA Tournament berths and three National Invitation Tournament appearances, including a trip to the 1993 NIVC Final Four.
The author of league tourney titles in 1986, 1987, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999 and 2000, he was named the 1999 AVCA National Coach of the Year, after guiding UNI to a 30-1 record, a No. 15 national ranking and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
Also in 1999, he accepted the inaugural AVCA Excellence in Education Award for outstanding on-going education contributions to the volleyball community over a number of years, was voted District Coach of the Year for the second time in his career and league Coach of the Year for the sixth time.
Ahrabi-Fard served as an elementary school teacher in Iran before earning bachelor’s (1965) and master’s degrees in physical education (1966) from UNI.
He served as the physical/aquatic director for the Davenport YMCA/YWCA before returning to Iran to serve as national swimming coach, special physical education tutor to the crown prince and three princes, executive director for the Education Department in the Sport, Physical Education and Recreation Organization of Iran and later as president of Iran’s Institute of Sport (coaching college) from 1967 to 1970.
Ahrabi-Fard joined the UNI faculty in 1972, serving the teaching/coaching profession at Price Laboratory School where he was honored as District Swimming Coach of the Year (1975) and State Track and Field Coach of the Year (1981).
He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in physical education and educational administration from the University of Minnesota (1975) before taking a leave of absence from UNI (1977) to serve as first deputy of the Sport, Physical Education, and Recreation Organization of Iran, then returning to UNI (1980) to teach and coach.
Ahrabi-Fard has been an undergraduate/graduate professor for the School of Health, Physical Education and Leisure Services (1981 to present) and served the school, college and university in numerous capacities. He has authored or co-authored articles, videos, grants and books; presented at state, regional, national and international meetings (China, Holland, Iran, Japan, Korea and Turkey) and served as speaker/clinician for state, national and international volleyball camps and clinics.
In addition to his sports recognition, he has been the recipient of the UNI College of Education Excellence in Teaching Award (2001) and the Board of Regents Faculty Excellence Award (2005).