Suzie Fritz and Matt Fuerbringer to Join LOVB Coaching Roster
LOVB Pro Adds Two Renowned Americans as Head Coaches for its Inaugural Season
Today, League One Volleyball (LOVB, pronounced “love”), the #1 youth volleyball business in the U.S. whose pro league launches in late 2024, today introduced two more members of its professional staff - Suzie Fritz and Matt Fuerbringer – who are joining as LOVB Pro head coaches. As individuals who have coached at the highest levels of the sport, Fritz and Fuerbringer continue to strengthen the professional staff at LOVB, which includes previously announced coaches Massimo Barbolini and Tama Miyashiro.
“Both Suzie and Matt are real students of the game, and their volleyball IQ is exceptional, so we are excited to welcome them to our team,” said Tom Hogan, director of sport for LOVB Pro. “Individually, they have made a tremendous impact on our sport and in particular, on the trajectory and development of the athletes who have played on their teams, so we can’t wait to see the impact they will have at LOVB.”
An NCAA veteran with a storied career, Suzie was most recently the associate head coach at Arkansas after 25 years as head coach of Kansas State. In her nearly 30 years as a volleyball coach, she led nationally-ranked teams to 18 NCAA tournament appearances, with her players including 18 All-America selections, 29 All-Region selections, and 60 All SEC/Big 12 selections. Over the past decade, she also coached three AVCA Midwest Freshman of the Year and two Big 12 Freshman of the Year recipients. She also served as a coach for the USA Women’s Collegiate program, appointed to a coaching role with the USA A2 team in 2006, again in 2009 as a head coach, and in 2023 she also served as a talent evaluator for the USA Women’s Open Tryout. In 2013, Suzie’s team represented the United States at the World University Games in Kazan, Russia.
A champion coach and player, Matt has found success at both the junior and professional levels. He has done two stints as an assistant coach for the U.S. Men’s National team, where he has helped coach the team to a series of championship results including a gold medal at the 2023 NORCECA zone championships, 2015 FIVB World Cup and 2014 FIVB World League; a silver medal at the 2023 and 2022 Volleyball Nations League Championships; a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games, and most recently, winning their Olympic qualifier to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics. He also was associate head coach for the Long Beach State women’s volleyball team for five years and is director of Team Rockstar volleyball club. A 4x All-American, Matt’s final block sealed the first NCAA men’s volleyball title for Stanford, and as a beach player, won the Manhattan Beach Open.
Volleyball is the fastest growing sport in the United States, and LOVB is working to make volleyball the next American major sports league, built on a level of play that is only possible when elite players come together with world-class coaches. Team assignments for coaches will be announced later this year.
