With nearly 450 career wins, six straight Patriot League titles and a .725 career winning percentage to his name, few can match the experience and the consistency of Head Coach Barry Goldberg.

Since taking over as AU's head volleyball coach in 1989 with a squad of just seven players, Goldberg has consistently raised the bar and expectations for success. The Eagles have made the NCAA Tournament eight times in the last 10 years, winning six straight Patriot League regular season and tournament titles. He has produced 27 All-Patriot League selections in six years and five Player of the Year recipients.

Throughout the years his teams have been excellent both on and off the court. In the classroom, Goldberg's teams have averaged a 3.33 combined grade point average per semester since 1995. AU women's volleyball has had four Academic All-America selections, including most notably, Karla Kucerkova's selection as the 2002 and 2003 CoSIDA Academic Volleyball Player of the Year. More recently, 2003 AU graduate Natalie Hand was awarded a Marshall Scholarship, which pays for American students to study in Great Britain. Fifty-three Eagles have earned an in-season GPA above 3.2 and been named to the All-Patriot League Academic Honor Roll in the team's six years in the conference.

The two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year has produced the most dominant teams in league history. His league record of 87-1 over six years says it all. The Eagles went undefeated in the Patriot League up until mid-way through the 2005 season when they fell to Army 3-0, a loss they would avenge twice later in the season.

The 2006 season saw continued excellence for Goldberg and his team. Goldberg coached his way to a second PL Coach of the Year award and his team won its sixth-consecutive Patriot League regular season and tournament titles. Despite being a young squad, with just one senior and three juniors, the Eagles were heavy on talent and determination. Led by Patriot League Player of the Year Rubena Sukaj, AU recorded an astounding 14-1 record at home in Bender Arena and an even more impressive 14-0 record against conference opponents. The Eagles played so masterfully during the second half of the season that none of their competition could manage to win more than one game in any match until facing top-ranked Nebraska in the NCAA Tournament.

Previous years in the Patriot League have yielded similar success stories. In 2004, the Goldberg-led Eagles compiled a 24-7 overall record while staying undefeated in league competition. The Eagles never went beyond four games in any PL match all year and found their rhythm in October, winning 13 straight, including non-conference opponents. At Bender Arena, AU wrapped up the Patriot League Tournament Championship against Army. The Eagles made their sixth straight NCAA tournament appearance, but bowed out in the first round to third-ranked Penn State after a hard fought third game, 3-0. Individually, junior Cutrina Biddulph was named the PL Co-Player of the Year and Honorable Mention All-American and freshman Chelsa Brooks was named the PL Rookie of the Year. In addition, AU was the best represented on the All-Patriot League teams with six athletes selected.

The story was much the same from 2001-03 during the Karla Kucerkova reign. Leaving the school with a mark of excellence on and off court, Kucerkova earned three straight Patriot League Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards. Nationally, she was named Academic All-American Player of the Year twice. The team's success was almost as brilliant as they wasted little time with the competition, winning 48 straight PL matches and advancing to three-straight NCAA Tournaments.

In 2000, AU volleyball had arguably its best year, but because the team changed conferences from the Colonial Athletic Association to the Patriot League they were ineligible for the NCAA tournament. The team finished 26-4 and had an 11-1 conference record. In its swan song in the CAA, the Eagles received many honors including Goldberg's third CAA Coach of the Year award. In addition, Ajola Berisha, the CAA Player of the Year, was selected as an AVCA Regional All-American, and Judit Szekelyhidi joined her on the CAA First Team. Former Eagles assistant coach, Silvia Panak, and Maria Zhuravleva were All-CAA Second Team picks.

In 1999 the Eagles faced six NCAA Championship participants en route to a then AU record .288 hitting percentage, placing the Eagles among the top-10 hitting teams in the country. AU garnered five post-season awards on their way to its third consecutive CAA Championship match appearance and finished the season ranked regionally for the fourth time in the previous five seasons. Goldberg earned his 249th career win in 1998 when he led AU to its second consecutive CAA Tournament Championship. The Eagles finished the regular season with a 14-match win streak, and posted a school-record 14-1 CAA mark. In addition, the Eagles faced three nationally ranked foes in No. 33 Minnesota, No. 23 Louisville and No. 1 Penn State, whom the Eagles gave a scare at the Penn State Invitational in September. Another bright spot in Goldberg's coaching history was the 1994 season, when the Eagles compiled a 34-8 record that included an unprecedented 23-match winning streak. For the first time in AU history, the team competed in the post-season at the National Invitational Volleyball Championship. While in Kansas City, AU commanded national attention by winning two of its four matches.

In 1994, the Eagles had a 23-match winning streak and in 1997 they went 30-4, earning the school's first NCAA Tournament berth. In the last nine years of league play, Goldberg's teams have only lost five matches.

It's hard to remember what AU volleyball was like before Goldberg, because his teams have achieved so much since his arrival. Since the day he came on as coach in 1989 the Eagles have accumulated an outstanding 180-35 (.837) record in Bender Arena. They have made eight NCAA Tournaments, in 1997, 1998 and from 2001-2006. In 12 seasons in the CAA, Goldberg coached 36 players to All-CAA teams, including 20 All-CAA First Team selections, two CAA Championships MVP accolades and a CAA Rookie of the Year nod. Goldberg has also coached three GTE/Academic All-Americans and three American University Student-Athletes of the Year. Four of his student-athletes have been named Verizon District II Academic All-Americans and one has been named the CoSIDA Academic All-American Volleyball Player of the Year, earning the honor two years in a row. Goldberg's early career was not as smooth as his success at American. Unrecruited as a high school player out of Peabody High School in Pittsburgh, Pa., he walked on to the team at the University of Pittsburgh. After getting cut as a freshman, he thought his playing days were over. However, a call from the coach, inviting him to play for the team as its 10th man, brought him back to the court. Goldberg worked hard in practice but saw no playing time until one of the season's final matches when a few teammates had finals and could not play. With no other choice, the coach had to put him in. Goldberg did not disappoint, outplaying other starters and earning his spot on the team.

From that point on he started at middle blocker for the Panthers. His junior year, he captained his team to a national ranking of 13th. At the end of the season, Pitt cut the program. Undeterred, Goldberg worked as player/coach for the club team as a senior. Goldberg graduated from the university with a B.A. in communication and rhetoric. While studying for his master's in counseling education, Goldberg became assistant coach for the Pitt women's team.

After college Goldberg moved to Washington and coached the Capital Junior Volleyball Club in the District of Columbia and led the Under-18 team to a top-20 finish at the Junior National Championships. All 10 of the players he coached that year went on to receive NCAA Division I scholarships. Seeing his success at that level, Georgetown University hired him as an assistant and he worked with their teams until being hired at American.

Along the way, Goldberg has worked with many different camps and committees. In 1992, Goldberg served as an instructor at the Karch Kiraly Camp, hosted by AU at Bender Arena. In 1997 he was the United States representative along with the Tampa Bay Juniors Volleyball Club at a four-nation international camp in Europe. Elite junior national teams from Switzerland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic hosted the camp. During his summers, Goldberg conducts individual and team volleyball camps at American and other locations in the Mid-Atlantic region. He has also held seminars in the National Mizuno Coaching Clinic Series. Goldberg also serves as a voting member of the national AVCA/USA Today Top-25 Coaches Poll and is also a voting member of the All-American committee.

Goldberg resides in Maryland with his wife, Bonnie, daughter Arielle, 17, and two sons, Jared, 15, and Mitchell, 12.