Jack Cassell and Barry and Bonnie Goldberg holding a rendering of the future Barry Goldberg Court at the Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance

Cassell Family Honors Legendary AU Volleyball Coach Barry Goldberg

2/20/2023 8:43:00 AM

WASHINGTON – The volleyball competition court in the future Alan and Amy Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance (Meltzer Center) will forever bear the name of legendary and current head coach Barry Goldberg. This honor comes through the leadership commitment of Board of Trustees chair emeritus and current member Jack Cassell, SOC/BA ’77, and his wife, Denise, made in the fall of 2019. Placing Goldberg’s name upon the court was inspired by the Cassell and Goldberg families’ longtime friendship and shared service to the American University Department of Athletics.

Cassell, the son of former AU student, coach, director of athletics and university vice president Stafford H. “Pop” Cassell. class of ‘36, is familiar with the importance and special meaning of having a court named in your honor. He has watched as Goldberg recorded 372 of his 812 career wins on “Pop” Cassell Court in Bender Arena, named in honor of his legendary father. All 16 of the Eagles’ Patriot League volleyball championships have also been won on Pop Cassell Court with Goldberg at the helm.

I have known Barry and his wife, Bonnie, since Barry’s first days coaching at AU. They embody the high values that we aspire to at American and foster and hold high the ideals that my father cherished at this University. Denise and I pledged our $3 million naming gift to the Meltzer Center, knowing the Cassell name is already very prominent on campus. We asked ourselves, ‘What would Pop Cassell want us to do?’ That question moved us to place the name of another great coach, AU’s winningest coach of all-time, on the new volleyball competition court in the Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance. We are now thrilled to name the “Barry Goldberg Court” with our donation.

Jack Cassell

Barry and Bonnie Goldberg at the 2023 Pop Cassell Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Jack Cassell hugging Barry Goldberg at the 2023 Pop Cassell Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

In 2019, the Goldberg and Cassell names were forever linked through another career honor, as Coach Goldberg was inducted into the Pop Cassell Hall of Fame and remains the only active coach to ever receive that recognition.

On behalf of my entire family, I want to thank Jack and Denise Cassell for their most generous tribute. When I began this volleyball journey at American University in 1989, I never dreamed I would experience something like this. History will tell a wonderful story of the AU volleyball program thanks to dedicated student-athletes and coaches that believed we could build something special here.

When Jack and Denise informed me of this gift, I was simply shocked. The only adequate response I could give to this incredible act of kindness was tears of gratitude. To be forever tied to the remarkable Pop Cassell is a true honor, and I am forever grateful for the legacy and support of the Cassell Family.

AU Volleyball Head Coach Barry Goldberg

Future Barry Goldberg Court, graphic of a volleyball court with his name on it

The naming of Barry Goldberg Court comes as the design phase concludes for the Meltzer Center. Additional naming opportunities are available to advance AU Athletics’ great legacy and support the current student-athletes and programs within the new facility.

The story of the Cassell and Goldberg family friendship and their shared, longstanding devotion to American University says so much about who we are as a community, and what we mean when we say ‘Once an Eagle, Always an Eagle. With this gift from Jack and Denise Cassell, we can ensure that Coach Barry Goldberg, and his wife Bonnie, are recognized as the AU legends they are today and will continue to be.

AU President Sylvia Burwell

07 December 2013: American defeats Duke (3-0) in the second round of the 2013 NCAA Volleyball Championships hosted by Duke University at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.

Barry Goldberg on the volleyball sideline

November 12, 2022 Patriot League volleyball action between American University and Holy Cross in Washington, Washington DC. (Credit Image: Chris Thompkins/)

Goldberg, who completed his 34th season in 2022, is a 10-time Coach of the Year and earned his 800th career victory near the beginning of the 2022 season. With a total of 812 wins, he currently ranks fourth all-time among still-active head coaches in NCAA Division I. Over his 22 seasons so far with AU as a member of the Patriot League, Goldberg has guided the Eagles to 16 conference titles and a truly outstanding PL record of 284-35.

His teams have made a total of 18 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and have twice had remarkable success. The Eagles advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in 2013 with straight-set wins over Georgia and Duke, and they made a second-round appearance in 2015 after sweeping Kentucky. American is the only Patriot League team to ever win a match in the NCAA Tournament.

The Cassells personify generosity, selflessness and character. Their commitment to American University shines like a beacon for the rest of us to emulate. With the naming of Barry Goldberg Court, the Cassells and the Goldbergs will forever be linked as foundational families at AU. They stand as a testament to the role change-making coaches and leaders play in building our community.

Director of Athletics & Recreation Dr. Billy Walker