BERKELEY – Nearly two years after she last coached the Golden Bears, Meagan Owusu is returning to lead the Cal beach volleyball program. Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton announced Tuesday that Cal's head coach from 2016-20 will return for a second stint in charge. Owusu stepped down in October 2020 to care for her newborn triplets and was rehired following a national search to fill the position.
 
"I am extremely grateful to Jim Knowlton, Gordon Bayne and the entire administration for believing in my vision for the Cal beach volleyball program," Owusu said. "I know that we have the support to take this program to the next level."
 
Owusu missed the entirety of the 2020 season while on maternity leave. Alongside her husband, Ernest, a Cal alum and former member of the Cal football team, Owusu gave birth to triplets on March 28. She then stepped away as head coach on Oct. 27, 2020 to spend more time with her family.
 
"Nothing brings me more joy than rejoining the Cal family," Owusu said. "Since the day I resigned, I have been waiting for the opportunity to come home. Coming from a Cal family, being a student-athlete alum and building the beach program, my love for this university runs deep. I cherish my opportunity to again support our student-athletes through their collegiate experience. Rather than picking up where I left off, I see my return to Cal as the start of a new chapter. I am chomping at the bit to achieve new program firsts and I can't wait to hit the ground running!"
 
Owusu was the first full-time coach in the history of the beach volleyball program, building the team into one of the best in the country. The Bears have been ranked in the top 12 of the AVCA Coaches Poll in every poll since April 23, 2018, a span of 1114 straight days to this season's final poll.
 
 "We had great interest from across the country in our head coaching position," Knowlton said. "Meagan has a proven track record of success in beach volleyball and, of course, strong ties to Cal and Cal Athletics.  During her first stint with the team, she built our beach volleyball program into a national power on the sand while maintaining high standards in the classroom. We supported her when she needed to take time to be with her family, and we are thrilled that she is returning."

Cal program improved dramatically throughout Owusu's tenure, concluding with three straight top-12 finishes in the AVCA Final Coaches Poll. Overall, Owusu has a record of 76-40 across her four seasons as the head coach, not including the season where she ran the day-to-day operations as associate head coach (2015) or a season on maternity leave (2020).
 
Cal recorded 15 wins over ranked opponents across the 2018 and 2019 seasons, with the Bears collecting back-to-back third-place finishes in the Pac-12. During her tenure, Cal had four All-American nods and five members of the All-Pac-12 team, and Jordan Polo collected the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year award in 2019.
  
In April of 2018, Owusu received the prestigious "Thirty Under 30" Award by the AVCA, which recognizes 30 up-and-coming coaching talents under the age of 30 across the country. In January of 2020, Owusu was named as an Under 40 Coaching Hotshot by Volleyball Magazine. 
 
Owusu has also established a cultural of excellence in the classroom, having produced 42 Pac-12 All-Academic selections, including four first-team picks. The Bears have also won the Newmark Award three times for having the highest cumulative GPA among small-team women's sports at Cal.
 
As a student-athlete, Owusu, formerly Meagan Schmitt, was a two-time Pac-12 All-Academic selection during her tenure as a defensive specialist for the Bears' indoor volleyball team. She was a team captain in 2010 and helped Cal make Final Four appearances in 2007 and 2010. She also helped guide the Golden Bears to a pair of NCAA Elite Eight berths.
 
During Owusu's absence the past two years, Derek Olson served as the interim head coach. Olson led the team to a 9-1 start to the 2020 campaign, before it was cancelled due to the pandemic, and to a 16-13 record in 2021. Cal finished the season ranked No. 10 in 2020 and No. 11 in 2021.
 
"I want to commend the job that Derek Olson has done over the past two years as the interim coach," Knowlton said. "He has had to navigate the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and a shortened season while continuing to uphold the high standards both on the beach and in the classroom. He has been a great steward for the program throughout very challenging times and we can't thank him enough."