Matt Peck is bringing a tradition of success as he enters his first season as the head coach of the Middle Tennessee Blue Raider volleyball program.

With 20 years of coaching experience, Peck has an overall career record of 543-196. Prior to arriving on the Middle Tennessee campus in February 2004, Peck spent nine seasons at the University of North Alabama.

In 2003, he led the Lions to an NCAA Division II National Championship title and was named the 2003 American Volleyball Association (AVCA) Tachikara Division II National Coach of the Year. He is also a three-time AVCA Region Coach of the Year (1998, 2000, 2003).

Peck guided North Alabama to its eighth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2003, capped with the school's first-ever NCAA Championship with a 3-0 win over Concordia St. Paul. North Alabama finished the 2003 season with an overall record of 33-7. Overall, Peck is 17-7 all-time in NCAA Tournament play and compiled a record of 107-3 against Gulf South opponents.

In his nine-year stint at North Alabama, Peck compiled a record of 312-61, which includes seven straight Gulf South Conference Championships and four appearances in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. Peck is the only coach in Gulf South Conference history to be selected as its coach of the year for three consecutive seasons (1996, 1997, 1998) and has won the award four times overall. He also produced 20 All-Americans and UNA set two individual and five NCAA Division II Tournament records under Peck's guidance.

In 2002, UNA went 30-5 and won the GSC volleyball title and advanced to the NCAA Regional for the seventh time. In 2001, UNA went 32-4 and won its sixth straight GSC title, before falling in the regional championship match.

It was 2000 when Peck and the Lions made their closest bid to the national title before winning it in 2003. UNA went 40-3 and reached the Division II Final Four for the first time. That record included a 39-match winning streak, as well as GSC and NCAA Division II South Regional titles.

In 1999, the Lions went 35-7 and earned the school's second straight NCAA Division II South Central Regional championship and second consecutive appearance in the Division II Elite Eight. North Alabama also claimed a fourth straight GSC title.

In 1998 Peck led UNA to a 38-6 record and the Lions first- ever berth in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. The Lions also climbed as high as seventh in the NCAA Division II national rankings.

In 1997 the Lions finished 39-5 on their way to a No. 8 national ranking, their second straight GSC championship and second consecutive NCAA Regional appearance.

The 1996 Lions had a 44-4 record that included a Top 15 national ranking in Division II, a Gulf South Conference Championship and the first NCAA Tournament bid ever received by any collegiate volleyball team form the state of Alabama.

Peck came to UNA on July 17, 1995, after serving as head volleyball coach at Wayne State University for 11 years. At UNA he inherited a program that had enjoyed just three winning seasons in six years prior to his arrival.

In his first season, Peck led UNA to a 21-20 record and third place finish in the Gulf South Conference Tournament. The Lions also recorded a 4-0 start, which was the best start in three years, and claimed the Francis Marion Invitational Championship.

In 1996 UNA and Flowers Hall were selected as the site for the four-team NCAA Division II South Central Regional, where the Lions downed Texas Women's University before falling to Central Missouri State in the championship game.

In 1998 UNA again hosted the NCAA Division II South Regional and this time the Lions knocked off Alabama-Huntsville and Rockhurst to claim the school's first-ever regional volleyball title.

Peck's best season at Wayne State came in 1986 when he guided WSU to a 32-6 record and a top 15 ranking among NCAA Division II schools. The 32 victories set a school record for wins in a season.

In 1987 WSU advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championships with a record of 27-7 and finished the season ranked No. 10. For his efforts in 1987 Peck was honored by his peers in the GLIAC as the Coach-of-the-Year. Wayne State also produced the school's first Division II volleyball All-American in 1987.

Wayne State was ranked in the Division II Top 20 four of his last five years at the school. In 1992 WSU claimed three tournament championships and had a 17-0 mark against Division II opponents outside the GLIAC.

A 1980 graduate of the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Psychology, Peck also received his Master's degree in Physical Education-Sports Administration from Wayne State in 1992.

A native of Dearborn Heights, Mich., Peck is a 1976 graduate of Dearborn (Mich.) Divine Child High School.