John Dunning is a coaching icon in the sport of volleyball. The graduate of Fremont High in Sunnyvale started coaching volleyball in 1977 at his alma mater. The Firebirds won six Central Coast Section titles and a state championship in nine years. In 1980, he founded the Bay Club, a USA Volleyball Junior Club, and produced a 1984 national championship.

Dunning was the head coach at the University of Pacific and at Stanford University. He is one of two coaches to win NCAA volleyball titles at multiple schools, two at UOP and three at Stanford. The two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association “Coach of the Year” was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2011. He retired from coaching in 2017 with an 888-185 win-loss college head coaching record.

John Dunning was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.