Deanne Scanlon has accomplished much in her life so far.

Scanlon, in her 16th season as Grand Valley State University volleyball’s head coach, has racked up a 0.778 career winning percentage (0.807 GLIAC) while guiding the team to GVSU’s only national championship in 2005. Her rosters have featured 14 All-Americans, five Academic All-Americans, 56 All-GLIAC selections and three GLIAC Player of the Year honorees, to name a few.

“Whenever I see her name in print or whenever someone says her name, the first thing that comes to mind is pride,” said senior Rebeccah Rapin. “I always associate her with how she has so much pride for this program. She always harps on us about having pride, and that’s something that always sticks out to me about her.”

Just the second coach in school history, the 2010 season marks the final year that Scanlon will coach her daughter, Meghan, who is in her last year of eligibility.

“We have two separate relationships,” Meghan said. “We have the mother-daughter relationship and then the coach-player one. Sometimes, it gets kinda cutthroat, but at the end of the day, she looks out for me and has my best interest at heart.”

More than just a leader, Scanlon dreams of someday competing in CBS’s The Amazing Race and vacationing to New York City and Broadway. The Lanthorn recently got to know Scanlon on a more personal level.

Lanthorn: What is your most memorable coaching experience?

Scanlon: Winning the 2005 national championship.

L: What school would you want to coach at if you were not at GVSU?

S: I would love to be at a school that had more to do with location. Someplace close to the ocean. I could only ever see myself going somewhere else if it was a place where I could retire. I don’t have a name for any particular school.

L: What profession would you want if you were not coaching?

S: I would love to be a chef, not a pastry chef. I can’t bake because that’s too precise; you have to have exact measurements. I watch the Food Network all the time. I’m a “foodie.” My favorite food is a really good steak.

L: Halloween is coming up. What is your favorite candy?

S: Anything chocolate. Probably a Reese’s Cup; peanut butter and chocolate.

L: Who is your favorite Disney character?

S: I do like the Little Mermaid (Ariel), but I’m just a pure Mickey Mouse fan.

L: What actress would portray you in your life movie?

S: Everybody tells me I always look like that girl from Law & Order (Mariska Hargitay).

L: What celebrity do you most want to meet?

S: I’m not really into Hollywood. It would have to be some type of world political leader, maybe Ghandi.

L: What is the most memorable quote you have heard?

S: “Learn as if you were going to live forever, but live as if you were going to die tomorrow.” – Ghandi

L: What do you want your personal legacy to be?

S: More than anything, if the name Grand Valley volleyball came up that one of the first things people would think about would be my name.

L: What is the oddest interview question you have ever been asked?

S: Probably the Disney character one. I don’t know if I’ve been asked anything odder than that.

[email protected]