During Sunday's men's basketball game between Penn State and the Gophers, new Gophers volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon will greet fans for the first time. And probably the last time for the next 18 months.

McCutcheon will maintain his current post as the U.S. Olympic women's volleyball coach through the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, USA Volleyball announced. Once he completes those duties, he will lead the perennially productive Gophers program.

Laura Bush, an assistant under former longtime coach Mike Hebert, will serve as interim coach for the 2011 season.

McCutcheon, who was hired in February, met some of his future players for the first time Saturday.

"I'm glad to have everything in place for that to happen smoothly and as competently as we can, in terms of coaching staff and the way the team's going to be handled in the interim," he said. "Couldn't feel happier about knowing this is where we're going to end up post-Olympics. Very excited."

On Monday, McCutcheon will fly back to California with his wife, former Lakeville High School star Wiz Bachman, and young son. Until he returns, he will have little involvement with the program.

He's not allowed to recruit or evaluate his players during his tenure with the national team because of NCAA rules.

But that doesn't bother athletic director Joel Maturi, who said he viewed McCutcheon's hiring as a long-term investment.

"I tried to weigh the advantages of him being our coach for 20 years versus not hiring him and never having him," he said.

McCutcheon said he'll give the Gophers 100 percent once his time with the national team ends.

"I'm very excited to coach the team," he said. "I think we have the possibility to continue the strong history of success that the program's showed over the last decade. We'll do our best to continue that."