LOVB Pro Coaches

Paulo Coco takes the helm of LOVB Miami after two years leading LOVB Atlanta. In 2025, he earned Coach of the Year honors after Atlanta posted the league's best record at 13-3, and the club finished second in the 2026 regular season standings. Atlanta’s two-year regular season record of 24-12 under Coco was best in the league.

Before LOVB, he coached in Brazil and Spain, winning five Brazilian Superliga titles and the 2023/24 Brazilian Cup. He’s also served as assistant coach of the Brazilian National team since 2003, winning gold at the Beijing and London Olympics as well as silver in Tokyo. He has also won three World Championship silver medals and two bronze medals with Brazil.

Sanja Tomašević is a former Serbian National Team member with extensive NCAA and professional coaching experience. She most recently spent two seasons with VakıfBank in Türkiye. Under her tutelage, VakıfBank won the Sultanlar Ligi title and reached the Champions League semifinal round earlier this year. During the 2023/24 campaign, the squad finished third in league play and the Turkish Cup while advancing to the Champions League quarterfinals. Prior to her pro experience, Sanja served as head coach at Arizona State University from 2016 to 2022 after serving as an assistant for one season. She also was an assistant at The University of Miami and The University of Texas at San Antonio. An opposite hitter, Sanja played professionally from 2006-2012. She won three league titles – one in Switzerland, two in Greece – and represented Serbia in Olympic qualifying and at the junior levels. She played college volleyball at the University of Washington and helped the Huskies win the 2005 NCAA Division I championship.

A world-class player and championship-winning coach, Tama has made her mark at both the international and national levels. As an assistant coach, she found success at Allianz Stuttgart in German Bundesliga, where they won the first-ever Bundesliga title, and with the US Women’s National team, where they won three FIVB VNL titles, Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 and Olympic silver at Paris 2024. Tama is the head coach of LOVB Salt Lake.

A three-time Olympic medalist, Paula helped the U.S. Women’s National Team claim its first-ever Olympic medal with silver in 1984 and earned MVP honors eight years later as the U.S. took bronze in 1992. A middle blocker, Paula played professionally for 14 years in Italy, Brazil and Japan and was enshrined into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1997. After retiring as an athlete, Paula joined the coaching staff at her alma mater, the University of Southern California, and worked her way up to assistant head coach, helping lead the squad to NCAA titles in 2002 and 2003. She spent 20 years as a collegiate head coach at both UC Irvine and Concordia University – Irvine and was an assistant coach with the U.S. Women’s National Team, helping the U.S. claim silver in 2012. Paula will serve as assistant coach at LOVB Houston.

Remi’s done it all along the sideline of a volleyball court, coaching at the international, collegiate and club levels. He’s worked with three international teams – the U.S. and German Women’s National Teams, and the French Men’s – and helped French pro club ESCR Volleyball win the French Cup in 2015. Since moving to the U.S., Remi’s coached extensively at the college level and helped the University of Nebraska reach the championship match in 2021. In addition to serving as LOVB Nebraska assistant coach, Remi leads technical training and recruiting for LOVB clubs Athena and Ajax in the Portland, Oregon, area. As a coach, he has won junior-level national titles with Athena, Team Rockstar in California and AS Cannes in France.

Yoko enters her second year as assistant coach of LOVB Atlanta. During 2025’s inaugural season, she helped lead the club to a 13-3 record and top seed at the LOVB Finals. A two-time Olympian, she won a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games with the U.S. Women’s National Team. She also earned medals at the FIVB World Grand Prix (1995, gold), Goodwill Games (1994, silver) and Pan American Games (1995, silver). Born in San Francisco, California, Yoko grew and played professional club volleyball in Japan, leading the Daiei Orange Attackers to a V-League championship in 1998 and a pair of All-Japan Volleyball Championship titles in 1998 and 1999, earning Best 6 honors in all three tournaments. She’s coached at Japan's university level and will serve as assistant coach at LOVB Atlanta.

Annemarie Hickey enters her first season as an assistant coach for LOVB Madison, bringing advanced training expertise and data-driven strategy to the court after serving as Director of Volleyball Operations in the team’s inaugural year. She spent eight seasons on staff at the University of Wisconsin, rising to assistant coach while helping guide the Badgers to five Big Ten titles, eight NCAA tournament appearances, and the 2021 national championship. Annemarie led scouting and performance analysis at Wisconsin and has contributed to both the U.S. Women’s National Team and Collegiate National Team. A 2022 AVCA Thirty Under 30 honoree, she is regarded as one of volleyball’s top emerging coaching talents.

Morales brings a rare combination of global prestige and collegiate success to LOVB Nebraska, currently serving as head coach of the South Korean Women’s National Team while previously elevating the University of Evansville program to historic new heights.

Fernando took over as head coach of the South Korean Women’s National Team in March 2024 and led the team during its 2024 Volleyball Nations League campaign. He has further international coaching experience after leading Puerto Rico to a string of strong international finishes: silver at the 2021 NORCECA Championship, silver at the 2023 Pan American Cup, silver at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games and bronze at the 2022 FIVB Challenger Cup. Under his guidance, Puerto Rico advanced to the second round of the 2022 FIVB Women’s World Championship and maintained a top-20 FIVB world ranking.

Collegiately, Fernando led the Evansville Purple Aces to three Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) championship matches, secured their first postseason appearance since the early 1980s and directed the program to its first 20-win season since 1988. He developed multiple MVC award-winners, including Giulia Cardona, who led the nation in kills and points and became the first Purple Aces player to earn MVC Player of the Year, and Alondra Vazquez, who set program records and earned First Team All-MVC and All-Region honors.

He brings nearly two decades of national and international playing experience, both indoor and beach. Fernando's individual honors include multiple Best Setter and Best Server awards in Puerto Rico, MVP distinctions and All-Star selections. He led his native Puerto Rico to a silver medal in the 2008 Olympic Qualifier, participation in the 2007 World Cup and podium finishes at NORCECA and Pan-Am tournaments.

Fikret Ceylan joins LOVB Houston with over a decade of coaching experience at the highest levels. A native of Istanbul, Turkey, Ceylan served as an assistant coach for powerhouse clubs including VakıfBank SK, where he contributed to multiple World Club Championships, CEV Champions League titles and Turkish League victories. Ceylan’s international résumé also includes assistant coaching roles with the French and South Korean national teams. His expertise in performance analysis and scouting, combined with advanced proficiency in tools like Data Volley, VolleyStation, and Volleymetrics, has made him a key contributor to medal-winning teams across Europe and Asia. A graduate of Marmara University’s School of Physical Education and Sports, Ceylan holds a Level 4 coaching certification from the Turkish Volleyball Federation and brings a championship mindset, international insight, and passion for player development to LOVB Houston.

A three-time Olympian and two-time silver medalist (Beijing 2008, London 2012), Tayyiba Haneef-Park joined the Austin coaching staff ahead of the 2026 season, bringing elite international experience and a championship pedigree to the bench. Tayyiba has extensive coaching experience in the international game and with USA Volleyball. She joined the U.S. Women’s National Team as assistant in 2025 and has also guided the squad to podium finishes (Gold, 2019 NORCECA Champions Cup; Silver, 2023 NORCECA Pan American Cup; Silver, 2023 NORCECA Final 6). She’s also worked with the National Team Development Program and USAV’s Collegiate National Team, along with collegiate stints at Oregon and Arizona. More recently, she earned 2024 Coach of the Year honors in the Pro Volleyball Federation after leading the San Diego Mojo. As a player, Haneef-Park was a standout outside hitter for Long Beach State, earning AVCA First-Team All-America honors in 2001 while leading the 49ers to a national runner-up finish. She later captured two Olympic silver medals with Team USA and helped secure a World Grand Prix gold medal in 2012.

Giuliano comes to LOVB Atlanta after one year as assistant with LOVB Madison. He helped the squad finish third in the League One Volleyball standings and win seven consecutive regular season matches. Known as Juba, Giuliano has been on staff with the Brazilian Men’s National Team since 2010 and led the squad to two Olympic medals, including gold in front of a hometown crowd at 2016 Rio. Under his tutelage, Brazil claimed gold in the 2021 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) and 2013 World Cup, silver at the 2014 and 2018 World Championships and bronze at the 2025 VNL. Typically an assistant, he served as head coach at the 2023 Pan American Games and led the team to gold. Juba also coached Brazilian beach volleyball pair Ricardo and Emanual to two Olympic medals.

Joining LOVB Madison as assistant coach, John most recently coached with the AI Peppers in South Korea’s women’s professional league, where he worked with outside hitters and passers while adapting to the demands of an international training environment. Before his overseas role, John was part of the NC State staff, helping the Wolfpack lead the ACC in digs per set during the 2022 season. At the Division III level, he spent three seasons at Arcadia University, where the Knights reached the MAC Commonwealth Championship match in 2019 and earned the highest regional ranking in program history. His coaching background also includes consulting with the Canadian Men’s National Team, serving as a data analyst for California’s beach program and working with Gold Medal Squared to train athletes and coaches across the country.

Bruno played professionally in his native France for 12 years. He won the French league in both 2006 and 2007 and represented the country during the 1995 FIVB Boys U18 World Championship. As a coach, he served as an assistant on the French Women’s Junior National Team before moving to the United States and coaching collegiately. In 2022, he returned to the international level and assisted the Japanese Men’s National Team. He’ll serve as LOVB Salt Lake’s assistant coach.

Alex Dunphy joins LOVB Salt Lake as an assistant coach after four seasons on staff at Stanford University, where she helped guide the Cardinal to multiple Pac-12 championships, one ACC Championship (2025), three consecutive NCAA Regional Final appearances from 2022–24, and one Sweet 16 appearance (2025). During her tenure, Stanford produced numerous AVCA All-Americans, conference award winners, and Academic All-Americans. Dunphy also brings extensive international and national team experience, most recently serving as an assistant coach for the U.S. Women’s U21 National Team that won gold at the 2024 NORCECA Continental Championship. Her coaching background includes stops at Auburn, USC, Minnesota, Pepperdine, and Miami, along with roles in multiple USA Volleyball National Team Development Program squads. A former USC student-athlete and NCAA champion, Dunphy adds elite-level experience and a deep volleyball pedigree to the LOVB Salt Lake staff.

Rob Browning enters his first season as assistant coach with LOVB Austin, bringing more than 25 years of collegiate and international coaching experience. Most recently, he served as assistant coach at NC State in February of 2025. Browning previously spent 20 seasons as the head coach at Saint Mary’s College of California, becoming the winningest coach in program history with five NCAA tournament appearances and the school’s first West Coast Conference championship in 2009. He also established Saint Mary’s’ beach volleyball program , producing multiple WCC award winners. On the international stage, Browning spent six years as an assistant coach with the U.S. Men’s National Team, working four Olympic Games, including the 2008 gold medal squad in Beijing. He also coached the U.S.Women’s National and Junior National Teams, winning gold at the 2019 Pan Am Cup and 2010 NORCECA Championship. Before his head coaching career, Browning was an assistant at BYU, helping the Cougars to the 1999 NCAA National Championship. A native of Newport Beach, California, he played collegiately at BYU and earned a degree in Spanish Translation with a minor in International Relations. He and his wife Michelle have two children, Madison and John.

A two-time Olympian, former U.S. Men’s National Team player and highly respected coaching leader, Sullivan was recently named head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team after a long stint in college volleyball. During his 14-season tenure as associate head coach at the University of Texas, he played an integral role in shaping one of the nation’s most dominant programs, contributing to three NCAA national championships and eight Final Four appearances. He has also contributed significantly to USA Volleyball in a variety of coaching roles, including serving as an assistant coach for the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team, which earned a fourth-place finish at the 2011 FIVB World Championship. He is also a key member of the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program (NTDP) Scouting Network for girls’ indoor volleyball, where he plays an active role in identifying and nurturing future U.S. National Team athletes. Sullivan boasts a distinguished international playing résumé and as a libero represented the United States at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.

Well-versed in both the club and international game, Athanasopoulos has been the head coach of the Czechia National Team since 2019. He’s led the Czechs to two FIVB Challenger Cup medals, three European Golden League medals and two Volleyball Nations League berths, including in 2026.

In club play, Athanasopoulos’ teams have seen even more success. Most recently, he led   (Hungary) from 2021 to 2026. Under his tutelage, Vasas Óbuda won five consecutive Extraliga titles and four Hungarian Cups. The club also took third in the 2024-25 CEV Cup. 

Prior to his time in Hungary, Athanasopoulos coached Allianz MTV Stuttgart of Germany from 2017 to 2021, winning the Bundesliga in 2018-19 and adding two second-place finishes. He also served as assistant coach at Stuttgart, VK Agel Prostějov (Czechia) and Olympiakós (Greece). 

An Athens, Greece, native, Athanasopoulos played professionally at two Greek clubs: GS Kerateas (1999-2003) and Paniónios GS (2008-11).