Building men, not just athletes

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Alfonso Alvarez moved to Campbellsville in 2022 to be the head coach of the men’s volleyball team.

Alvarez has had a passion for athletics since he was a kid. He played three sports in high school, and eventually become a student-athlete at an NAIA school.

His interest in volleyball began during his college career at Trinity International University.

“When I was in college, I had my eye on a girl there, she was a volleyball player. I wanted to get her attention, and I showed up to one of their practices,” he said. “To my surprise, the coach needed some help and the rest is history.”

When he was close to graduating from college, he knew his playing career was over, but he wasn’t ready to give up. He became the assistant coach, and his main responsibility was recruiting.

Alvarez served there for about three years. Then he worked at different high schools in Miami as an athletic director, teacher and volleyball coach. He also coached and was owner of his own club volleyball program.

In 2017, he became the head women’s volleyball coach and the sports information director at Florida Memorial University.

“Our women’s volleyball team set the record for most wins in program history,” Alvarez said. “We had beaten the rival school for the first time in school history. I recruited a team that won the conference championship for the first time ever.”

In 2020, Alvarez became the assistant director of athletics and head men’s volleyball coach at Bluefield University.

“In my three years there, I left as the winningest coach in program history,” Alvarez said.

In addition to his athletic accomplishments, Alvarez. has loved making relationships throughout his career. The people he’s worked with have become family. He’s learned so much from them and they still stay in touch to this day.

After working for a couple of years at Bluefield University, Alvarez knew his time there was done, and he needed to find a new place to work. At that same time, Campbellsville University had an opening, and he applied.

“I was not sure that I wanted to work here,” he said. “I had a lot of questions. I wasn’t convinced I wanted to live in Kentucky, and I had a lot of doubts. But when I arrived on campus, the Lord gave me this peace that can only come from Him.”

During his time on campus, he met coaches Mark Miller and Ginger Colvin and they both had a huge impact on him.

“God used these people to convince me that I had to be at CU,” Alvarez said.

He’s been coaching the CU men’s volleyball team since June of 2022.

“What I love the most about my job is my relationship with my players. Each and every one of those guys is a special relationship,” Alvarez said.

He’s very excited about how some of the upper classmen have developed into amazing young men.

“Mason McKinney, John Marcos-Gonzalez and Diego Betancourt are seniors,” he said, “and I am not sure how we will survive without them. They are amazing leaders for us. They will be missed.”

According to Alvarez, there are several underclassmen he believes will be great leaders for the team.

“We discuss our team culture all the time,” he said. “We strive to have a team culture that represents the Lord in our lives. A team culture that others want to emulate or be a part of.”

However, every season brings challenges and difficulties. This year, he noticed how many of his players are constantly wanting to learn and get better. According to Alvarez, the team had a couple of losses that they just accepted as learning moments. Those losses could have been detrimental to their season, but every time his players have come back stronger, he said.

“In our struggles, we find motivation knowing that the only perfect person was Jesus, and we are not called to be perfect, we are called to continue working,” Alvarez said.

The team’s goal is to be the premier program at CU, in their conference and in the nation.

“I believe that preparing a team for a season is a lot like rehearsing for a play or a performance,” Alvarez said. “I prepare them for every possible thing, and they rehearse it until they can’t get it wrong. Practice has to be harder than a game. That way, when the game comes, it’s easy.”

Above all else, Alvarez strives to always be there for his players.

“My prayer every day is that the Lord gives me the right words, attitude and opportunity to make a difference in their lives,” he said.

John Marcos Gonzalez, CU graduate student and volleyball player, has known Alvarez for three years since he was back home in Miami, Florida.

“Coach is someone I can always count on. Whenever I’ve had an issue, he has always figured a way out to help me,” Gonzalez said. “Coach has consistently shown me why I can always count on him. He is the example of actions speak louder than words.”

According to Gonzalez, Alvarez always reminds his team to constantly have faith in God and take care of family.

“Coach has taught me a lot about stepping into my adult life,” he said. “He’s not just a coach for on the court but a coach in life. He has given me the opportunity to be a leader of this team and has helped me develop the qualities necessary to succeed… I now have the confidence to succeed at anything I put my mind to. Coach has shown me the importance of putting others before myself and how blessing others is a blessing to myself. He has shown me the power of helping out our community and giving without expecting to receive anything in return because serving itself is rewarding.”

His daughter, CU graduate student Jenny Mallea, describes her dad as a role model.

“My dad has always been someone I look up to—not just as a parent, but as a genuinely generous and passionate person,” Mallea said. “One of my favorite things about him is how he gives so freely, whether it’s his time or energy to others.”

His relationship with volleyball is something that Mallea has admired her whole life.

“He doesn’t just love the game—he lives it with heart and purpose,” she said. “Watching him coach, play and invest in people through the sport is what first sparked my own love and passion for volleyball. His example taught me how to give fully, love deeply and hustle in every aspect of my life.”