View source for Jeff Nygaard

{{Short description|American volleyball player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox volleyball biography
| name             = Jeff Nygaard
| image            = 
| image_size       = 
| caption          = 
| birth_name       = Jeff Wayne Nygaard
| birth_date       = {{birth-date and age|August 3, 1972}}
| birth_place      = [[Madison, Wisconsin]], U.S.
| height           = 6 ft 8 in
| college          = University of California, Los Angeles
| nationalyears    = 1993–2000
| nationalteam     = {{vb|USA}}
| position         = Middle blocker
| teamnumber       = 13 (national team)<br>9 (UCLA)
| medaltemplates-title = Medal record
| medaltemplates   = 
{{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }}
{{MedalSport | Men's [[beach volleyball]] }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour|World Tour]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[Swatch FIVB World Tour 2003|2003 Rhodes]]|Beach}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[Swatch FIVB World Tour 2003|2003 Marseille]]|Beach}}
{{MedalSport | Men's [[volleyball]] }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship|World Championship]] }}
{{MedalBronze | [[1994 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship|1994 Greece]] | [[1994 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship squads|Indoor]] }}
}}

'''Jeff Wayne Nygaard''' (born August 3, 1972) is an American [[volleyball]] coach and former volleyball player. He was a member of the [[United States men's national volleyball team|United States national indoor team]] in the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] in [[Atlanta]] and the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] in [[Sydney]].<ref name="IOC" /> He was a middle blocker.<ref name="BVD" /> He also played [[beach volleyball]] at the [[Beach volleyball at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|2004 Summer Olympics]] in [[Athens]] with partner [[Dain Blanton]].<ref name="BVD">{{Cite web |url=http://www.bvbinfo.com/player.asp?ID=1922 |website=[[Beach Volleyball Database]] |title=Jeff Nygaard |access-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611013047/http://www.bvbinfo.com/player.asp?ID=1922 |archive-date=June 11, 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="IOC">{{Cite web |url=https://olympics.com/en/athletes/jeff-nygaard |website=Olympics.com |title=Jeff Nygaard |access-date=July 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726005108/https://olympics.com/en/athletes/jeff-nygaard |archive-date=July 26, 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==High school==

Nygaard attended [[La Follette High School]] in Madison, Wisconsin, where he played volleyball and was MVP of his state in 1991.<ref name="WaPo" /> Nygaard helped La Follette win state championships in 1987 and 1989, and finish second in the state in 1988.<ref name="WaPo">{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/olympics/longterm/vball/men/nygaard.htm |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |title=Jeff Nygaard |access-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160901073926/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/olympics/longterm/vball/men/nygaard.htm |archive-date=September 1, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="USC" />

==College==

Nygaard played college volleyball at [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]] and was named National Player of the Year in 1994 and 1995.<ref name="USC" /> He also won NCAA Championships while playing for the Bruins in 1993<ref name="LAT-1993">{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-05-09-sp-33175-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |last=Witherspoon |first=Wendy |date=May 9, 1993 |title=College Volleyball / NCAA Men's Championships : UCLA Wins Easily for 14th Title |access-date=September 26, 2024 }} {{subscription required}}</ref> and 1995,<ref name="LAT-1995">{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-05-07-sp-5102-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |title=Bruins Finally Avenge a Defeat : Volleyball: UCLA men win NCAA title by beating Penn State, which had beaten them in last year’s championship match. |agency=Associated Press |date=May 7, 1995 |access-date=September 26, 2024 }} {{subscription required}}</ref> and was named NCAA Championship tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1995.<ref name="NCAA">{{Cite web |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_volleyball_champs_records/2005/2005.pdf |website=[[NCAA]] |title=Volleyball |access-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920204731/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_volleyball_champs_records/2005/2005.pdf |archive-date=September 20, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2007, Nygaard was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame.<ref name="UCLA">{{Cite web |url=https://uclabruins.com/honors/hall-of-fame/jeff-nygaard/123 |website=UCLA Athletics |title=Jeff Nygaard |access-date=August 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413224519/https://uclabruins.com/honors/hall-of-fame/jeff-nygaard/123 |archive-date=April 13, 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Beach volleyball==

Nygaard played professional [[beach volleyball]] from 2001 to 2011, winning almost $500,000 in career earnings.<ref name="BVD" /> In total, he won seven [[Association of Volleyball Professionals|AVP]] tournaments and one [[Fédération Internationale de Volleyball|FIVB]] tournament.<ref name="USC" /><ref name="BVD" /> In 2003, he was selected as the AVP Most Valuable Player.<ref name="BVD" />

==Coaching==

Nygaard was an assistant coach for the [[Whittier College]] women's volleyball team in 2009.<ref name="USC" /> Nygaard is currently the head coach of the [[USC Trojans men's volleyball]] team.<ref name="USC">{{Cite web |url=https://usctrojans.com/sports/mens-volleyball/roster/coaches/jeff-nygaard/5605 |title=Jeff Nygaard |website=USC Athletics |access-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724052035/https://usctrojans.com/sports/mens-volleyball/roster/coaches/jeff-nygaard/5605 |archive-date=July 24, 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Awards==
* Two-time NCAA Champion — 1993, 1995
* Two-time NCAA National Player of the Year — 1994, 1995
* FIVB World Championship bronze medal — 1994
* NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player — 1995
* AVP Most Valuable Player — 2003
* UCLA Hall of Fame — 2007

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Olympics.com profile|jeff-nygaard}}
* [https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/53307 Olympedia profile: Jeff Nygaard]
* {{Beach Volleyball Database | 1922 | Jeff Nygaard }}
* [https://uclabruins.com/honors/hall-of-fame/jeff-nygaard/123 UCLA Hall of Fame]
* [https://socalindoorvolleyballhof.com/jeff-nygaard/ Southern California Indoor Volleyball Hall of Fame]
* [https://volleybox.net/jeff-nygaard-p11741 Volleybox.net profile]
* [http://www.volleyball1on1.com/jeff-nygaard/ Jeff Nygaard Volleyball Back 1 Hitting]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCzBPjWf3RQ Volleyball Tips: The jump serve with Jeff Nygaard]

{{United States men's volleyball squad 1996 Summer Olympics}}
{{United States men's volleyball squad 2000 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Volleyball 1996 Summer Olympics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nygaard, Jeff}}
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American men's volleyball players]]
[[Category:American men's beach volleyball players]]
[[Category:Volleyball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Volleyball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Beach volleyball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic beach volleyball players for the United States]]
[[Category:Olympic volleyball players for the United States]]
[[Category:Panathinaikos V.C. players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Madison, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Whittier College people]]
[[Category:UCLA Bruins men's volleyball players]]
[[Category:USC Trojans men's volleyball coaches]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]