Rhode Island coaching icon Luis Carvalho entershis second season as an assistant coach on the BryantUniversity volleyball coaching staff.
A well-known and widely-respected coach throughout The OceanState, he comes to Smithfield after spending the last four years asthe head women’s volleyball coach at Rhode Island College,where he was named the 2009 Little East Conference Coach of theYear.
“I am so excited to have Lou join our staff,” saidGarlacy. “He is one of the most successful and knowledgeablevolleyball coaches in the state. Lou understands thefundamentals of the game and has such a passion for the sport. Hehas been part of the rich tradition of Bryant Volleyball throughthe success of his daughter, Hall of Famer JenniferCarvalho-Bailey, and now returns to the program to add yet anotherlayer to his – and our – legacy.”
Before joining the Anchorwomen, Carvalho spent 25 years as thehead girls’ volleyball coach at East Providence High School(1982-2006), leading the team to seven Rhode Island Division Istate championships. He also spent 13 years doubling as the headboys’ volleyball coach (1989-2001), where he won two morestate titles, and Carvalho won back-to-back Rhode Island Division Ichampionships as the head girls’ soccer coach at BarringtonHigh School in 1985 and 1986.
A 2007 inductee into the Rhode Island Interscholastic LeagueHall of Fame, Carvalho is well-decorated after years of service,earning such accolades as the 1993 RIIAA Male Coach of the YearAward, the 1994 Words Unlimited High School Girls’ Coach ofthe Year Award, and the 2000 Alice Sullivan Award, another GirlsCoach of the Year honor. He was named Coach of the Year by theRhode Island Coaches’ Association 11 times throughout hishigh school coaching career, and retired from East Providence HighSchool in 2006 after 34 years of service as physical educationteacher.
Before becoming a coach, Carvalho was an athlete himself,attending the University of Rhode Island, where he was a three-timeAll-Yankee Conference selection and leading scorer in men’ssoccer, leading to his 1999 induction into the URI Athletics Hallof Fame. A two-time captain and 1971 University All-Star Squadpick, he led the Rams to two league titles and a 1972 NCAAtournament berth. Carvalho graduated from URI in 1973 with a degreein Physical Education and Health.
A resident of Seekonk, Mass., Carvalho has three daughters,Melanie, Ligia and Jennifer (’98), who is a member of theBryant Athletics Hall of Fame after playing volleyball for theBulldogs from 1994-97. He and his wife, Maria, have sixgrandchildren.
