women’s volleyball has long been one of the most exciting and competitive sports in the world, combining talent, strategy and inspiring leadership. Coaches in this sport play a crucial role in building winning teams, shaping not only the players’ technical skills, but also their mentality and team spirit.
The history of women’s volleyball is full of exceptional coaches who have left a lasting legacy with their achievements. With that in mind, we’ve created a list of the 20 best women’s volleyball coaches in history! Find out who these professionals are, their titles, curiosities and much more!
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Top 20 women’s volleyball coaches in history: complete list
- Lang Ping
- José Roberto Guimarães
- Karch Kiraly
- Giovanni Guidetti
- Nikolay Karpol
- Massimo Barbolini
- Hugh McCutcheon
- Zoran Terzić
- Manabe Masayoshi
- Guimê Santana
- Bernardinho
- Luizomar de Moura
- Marcos Kwiek
- Alekno Vladimir
- Daniele Santarelli
- Stefano Lavarini
- Laurent Tillie
- Akira Kato
- Park Sam-ryong
- Marco Aurélio Motta
20 best women’s volleyball coaches in history: get to know them!
1. Lang Ping
- Titles: Gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games, 2015 World Championship.
- Team: Chinese Women’s National Volleyball Team.
- Fun facts: Known as “Iron Hammer” during her playing career.
- Life Story: First person to win an Olympic gold medal both as a player and as a coach.
2. José Roberto Guimarães
- Titles: Gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.
- Team: Brazilian women’s volleyball team.
- Fun facts: First coach to win an Olympic gold medal in both men’s and women’s volleyball.
- Life Story: Started his volleyball career as a player before becoming one of the most respected coaches in the world.
3. Karch Kiraly
- Titles: Gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games.
- Team: United States Women’s National Volleyball Team.
- Fun facts: The only volleyball player to win Olympic gold medals both on the court and on the beach.
- Life Story: Successfully transitioned from a legendary playing career to a renowned coach.
4. Giovanni Guidetti
- Titles: Multiple European Champions League titles, 2019 European Championship.
- Team: Several European teams, including VakifBank.
- Fun facts: Known for his ability to turn club teams into European powerhouses.
- Life Story: One of the youngest coaches to achieve international success in women’s volleyball.
5. Nikolay Karpol
- Titles: Olympic medals in 1988 and 2000, several world championships.
- Team: Russian Women’s National Volleyball Team.
- Fun facts: Nicknamed “The Bear” because of his intense coaching style.
- Life Story: Coached some of the best players in Russian volleyball history.
6. Massimo Barbolini
- Titles: European and world championships with Italy.
- Team: Italian Women’s National Volleyball Team.
- Fun facts: Noted for his defensive strategy and strong physical preparation.
- Life story: Former coach of the powerful Conegliano club team.
7. Hugh McCutcheon
- Titles: Silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games.
- Team: United States Women’s National Volleyball Team.
- Fun facts: Originally a men’s volleyball coach, he successfully switched to women’s volleyball.
- Life Story: New Zealander who made his career in the USA, famous for his analytical approach.
8. Zoran Terzić
- Titles: European and world championships.
- Team: Serbia Women’s National Volleyball Team.
- Fun facts: Turned Serbia into a world power in women’s volleyball.
- Life Story: Led Serbia to a rapid rise on the international stage.
9. Manabe Masayoshi
- Titles: Bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic Games.
- Team: Japan Women’s National Volleyball Team.
- Fun facts: Known for his technical and disciplined style.
- Life Story: Former player who brought new energy to Japanese women’s volleyball.
10. Guimê Santana
- Titles: South American championships, national titles in Brazil.
- Team: Club teams and youth national teams in Brazil.
- Fun facts: Renowned for developing young talent.
Life Story: Focused on developing women’s volleyball from the grassroots level.
11. Bernardinho
- Titles: Bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games.
- Team: Brazilian women’s volleyball team.
- Fun facts: Most famous for his career in men’s volleyball, but he also had an impact on women’s volleyball.
- Life Story: One of the most successful coaches in Brazilian volleyball.
12. Luizomar de Moura
- Titles: South American Championships, Brazilian Superliga titles.
- Team: Brazilian Youth National Team and clubs.
- Fun facts: Known for his ability to work with young athletes.
- Life Story: Contributed significantly to the growth of women’s volleyball in Brazil.
13. Marcos Kwiek
- Titles: Regional and continental titles with the Dominican Republic.
- Team: Dominican Women’s National Volleyball Team.
- Fun facts: Transformed the Dominican Republic into an internationally competitive team.
- Life Story: Brazilian who had a successful international career.
14. Alekno Vladimir
- Titles: World and European championships.
- Team: Club teams in Russia and national teams.
- Fun facts: Best known for his success with the men’s national team, but has also made an impact with the women’s team.
- Life Story: Versatile and successful in both genders in volleyball.
15. Daniele Santarelli
- Titles: Several European Champions League titles.
- Team: Imoco Volley Conegliano.
- Fun facts: Young Italian coach with a rapid rise.
- Life story: Gained notoriety for his work with elite clubs in Europe.
16. Stefano Lavarini
- Titles: National championships and international titles.
- Team: Brazilian national team and Italian clubs.
- Fun facts: Known for his ability to turn difficult games around.
- Life Story: Italian coach with a strong presence on the Brazilian scene.
17. Laurent Tillie
- Titles: European Championships and Olympic participation.
- Team: French men’s national volleyball team and consultant for the women’s team.
- Fun facts: Father of a French national team player.
- Life Story: Multifaceted career both as a player and coach.
18. Akira Kato
- Titles: Asian titles and Olympic appearances.
- Team: Japan Women’s National Volleyball Team.
- Fun facts: Influential in promoting volleyball in Japan.
- Life Story: Contributed significantly to the development of women’s volleyball in Asia.
19. Park Sam-ryong
- Titles: Asian Championships.
- Team: South Korean Women’s National Volleyball Team.
- Fun facts: Pioneer of Korean women’s volleyball.
- Life Story: Developed innovative strategies that are still used today.
20. Marco Aurélio Motta
- Titles: Several national and international titles, including continental competitions.
- Team: Turkey Women’s National Volleyball Team and various club teams.
- Fun facts: Known for his ability to turn teams into elite competitors.
Life Story: Brazilian who had a successful career both in Brazil and internationally, with a significant impact on Turkish women’s volleyball.
Top 20 women’s volleyball coaches in history: complete list
- Lang Ping
- José Roberto Guimarães
- Karch Kiraly
- Giovanni Guidetti
- Nikolay Karpol
- Massimo Barbolini
- Hugh McCutcheon
- Zoran Terzić
- Manabe Masayoshi
- Guimê Santana
- Bernardinho
- Luizomar de Moura
- Marcos Kwiek
- Alekno Vladimir
- Daniele Santarelli
- Stefano Lavarini
- Laurent Tillie
- Akira Kato
- Park Sam-ryong
- Marco Aurélio Motta
20 best women’s volleyball coaches in history
This was the list of the 20 best women’s volleyball coaches in history, each of whom left their mark on teams all over the world. If you enjoyed checking out the ranking, keep exploring the site to find out much more about other sports professionals and everything that surrounds this universe!
