{{short description|American volleyball coach}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} '''Linda J. Vivas''' is an American former college volleyball coach and professional volleyball player. In 1988–89, she was the executive director of Major League Volleyball. After losing her job as head coach of women's volleyball at Fresno State University, she won a $5.85 million settlement in 2007.
==Early life and education== Vivas graduated in 1975 from Punahou School in Honolulu,<ref>{{cite news |first=Cindy |last=Luis |url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/98/10/24/sports/story3.html |title=Wahine top 'Dogs |newspaper=Honolulu Star-Bulletin |date=October 24, 1998 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312120647/http://archives.starbulletin.com/98/10/24/sports/story3.html |archive-date=March 12, 2016 }}</ref> where she played basketball and softball in addition to volleyball; she was inducted into the school's hall of fame in 2013.<ref name=School>{{cite web |url=https://www.punahou.edu/hall-of-fame-detail?pk=1115288 |title=Lindy Vivas (1975) |website=Hall of Fame |publisher=Punahou School |access-date=January 2, 2025 }}</ref> In 1980 she earned a degree in kinesiology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).<ref name=Fresno>{{cite web |url=http://gobulldogs.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/vivas_lindy00.html |title=Lindy Vivas |website=Fresno State Bulldogs |publisher=Fresno State University |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050506201817/http://gobulldogs.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/vivas_lindy00.html |archive-date=May 6, 2005 }}</ref> She played volleyball for the Bruins in her senior year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uclabruins.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/lindy-vivas/12195 |title=Lindy Vivas |website=1978 Women's Volleyball Roster |publisher=UCLA Bruins |access-date=January 2, 2025 }}</ref> Before transferring to UCLA, she attended the University of Southern California, where she was on the 1976 national championship Trojans volleyball team, won an AIAW All-Region award that year, and also played basketball.<ref name=Fresno/>
==Career== In 1979, Vivas was an assistant coach for the UCLA Bruins. From 1979 to 1980, she played for the San Jose Diablos in the International Volleyball Association. She was then an associate coach for the Texas A&M Aggies women's volleyball team from 1980 to 1983. In 1983 she played pro volleyball for the Texas Magic and was a USVBA All-American. From 1984 to 1987, she was head coach of the Washington Huskies women's volleyball team, amassing a 72–60 record. In 1987 she played in Major League Volleyball for the New York Liberties.<ref name=Fresno/>
From 1988 to its disbanding in March 1989, she was Executive Director/Commissioner of Major League Volleyball.<ref name=Fresno/><ref name="News Tribune">{{cite news|first=Sheldon|last=Spencer|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/737993431/|title=Tacoma CC soccer mounts a record assault; Northwest colleges|date=October 20, 1988|newspaper=The News Tribune |location=Tacoma, Washington|access-date=July 24, 2021|page=C9|via=Newspapers.com|quote=Today, Vivas is the new commissioner of the MLV.}}</ref><ref name="LAT">{{cite news|first=Steve|last=Lowery|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/405167931/|title=Major League Volleyball Teams Suspend Operations|date=March 21, 1989|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|access-date=July 24, 2021|page=72|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
Vivas then became a real estate agent in the San Francisco Bay Area before resuming her volleyball coaching career as an assistant coach at San Jose State University in 1990.<ref name=Fresno/>
From 1991 to 2004 she was head coach of the Fresno State Bulldogs women's volleyball team. During that time, she was an assistant coach for the USA national B team in 1992.<ref name=Fresno/> At Fresno State, Vivas became the winningest coach in the program's history, with a 263–167 overall record and a .612 overall winning percentage. Her teams finished in the top three of the Western Athletic Conference standings six times, and she was named WAC Coach of the Year three times (1992, 1997, 2002).<ref name=Fresno/> In the 2002 season, the Bulldogs finished 23–7 overall for their best single-season winning percentage, 767. During her tenure the team reached the NCAA Tournament three times (1991, 1998, 2002), went to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship three times (1992, 1994, 1995), and reached the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 national poll three times. The home match against the University of Hawaiʻi on November 9, 2003, attracted a school record crowd of 4,708.<ref name=Fresno/><ref name=Out>{{cite web |url=https://www.outsports.com/2013/3/3/4061088/lesbians-dykes-and-atheists-at-fresno-state/ |title='Lesbians, Dykes and Atheists' at Fresno State |website=Outsports |date=March 3, 2013 |orig-year=2005 }}</ref>
==Firing and lawsuit== On December 6, 2004, Vivas was let go from the Fresno State head coaching position.<ref name=Out/> The university gave as its reason that she had not done enough to improve the volleyball program;<ref name=CHE>{{cite news |first=Sara |last=Lipka|url=http://chronicle.com/daily/2007/07/2007071105n.htm |title=Jury Orders Fresno State U. to Pay Ex-Coach $5.85-Million in Discrimination Case |newspaper=The Chronicle of Higher Education |date=July 11, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714020302/http://chronicle.com/daily/2007/07/2007071105n.htm |archive-date=July 14, 2007 }}</ref><ref name=AP>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/news/story?id=2930905 |title=Jury rules against Fresno St. in discrimination case, awards Vivas $5.85M |publisher=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=July 9, 2007 }}</ref> Vivas said she was fired for advocating for gender equity in accordance with Title IX,<ref name=Out/><ref>{{cite news |first=Dick |last=Patrick |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/womensbasketball/2005-02-16-on-womens-basketball_x.htm |title=MAC scoring leader hopes she's a biz whiz |newspaper=USA Today |date=February 16, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080314060750/https://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/womensbasketball/2005-02-16-on-womens-basketball_x.htm |archive-date=March 14, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.augustachronicle.com/story/news/2007/07/05/nca-134744-shtml/14708328007/ |title=Study: Female coaches dwindling |newspaper=The Augusta Chronicle |location=Augusta, Georgia |date=July 5, 2007 }}</ref> and also that she had been discriminated against on grounds of her presumed sexual orientation.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Bryant-Jon |last1=Anteola |first2=Chris |last2=Collins |url=https://www.fresnobee.com/latest-news/article19498353.html |title=Dismissed coach gives her side of the story |newspaper=The Fresno Bee |date=June 25, 2007 }}</ref><ref name=Seattle>{{cite news |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/vivas-wins-suit-against-fresno-st/ |title=Vivas wins suit against Fresno St. |newspaper=The Seattle Times |orig-date=July 10, 2007 |date=July 13, 2007 |agency=Associated Press }}</ref> She sued the university in Fresno County Superior Court. On July 9, 2007, a jury decided <!-- unanimously --> that the university had discriminated against Vivas, and awarded her $5.85 million in damages,<ref name=CHE/><ref name=AP/><ref name=Seattle/> at the time a record-setting amount in a sex discrimination case.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://archives.starbulletin.com/2007/07/10/news/story03.html |title=Punahou alum wins $5.85M suit |newspaper=Honolulu Star-Advertiser |date=July 10, 2007 |agency=Associated Press }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Elizabeth |last=Redden |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/12/10/fallout-fresno-states-multi-million-dollar-cases |title=Fallout from Fresno State's Multi-Million Dollar Case(s) |website=Inside Higher Ed |date=December 9, 2007 }}</ref> In October, a judge lowered the amount to $4.5 million.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Norma |last1=Yuriar |first2=Brian |last2=Morrow |url=https://kmph.com/archive/fsu-vs-lindy-vivas-award-lowered |title=FSU Vs. Lindy Vivas: Award Lowered |publisher=KMPH |location=Visalia, California |date=October 12, 2007 }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== *{{cite book |editor1-first=Shaun R. |editor1-last=Harper |editor2-first=Jamel K. |editor2-last=Donnor |first1=Jennifer Lee |last1=Hoffman |first2=Jacqueline |last2=McDowell |first3=Valyncia C. |last3=Raphael |contribution=Gender Discrimination and Retaliation Under Title IX at Fresno State |title=Scandals in College Sports |year=2017 |location=New York |publisher=Routledge |isbn= 9781138830547 }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vivas, Lindy}} Category:Punahou School alumni Category:Volleyball players from Honolulu Category:American volleyball coaches Category:American women's volleyball players Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:UCLA Bruins women's volleyball players Category:USC Trojans women's volleyball players Category:Washington Huskies women's volleyball coaches Category:Fresno State Bulldogs women's volleyball coaches Category:San Jose State Spartans women's volleyball coaches Category:UCLA Bruins women's volleyball coaches Category:Texas A&M Aggies women's volleyball coaches Category:21st-century American sportswomen Category:20th-century American sportswomen