Volleyball: Olympic gold-winning coach Tillie set to head Japan

TOKYO (Kyodo) — Laurent Tillie, who steered France to men’s volleyball gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, is likely to be the new head coach of the Japan men’s national team, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday.

Tillie’s appointment will be made official as early as Monday at a Japan Volleyball Association board meeting. The 60-year-old from France is currently Osaka Bluteon’s head coach but will step down after the 2024-2025 SV.League season to take the national team job.

According to the sources, his track record in international competitions and coaching experience in Japan has made him the best choice for the country, which lost in the Olympic quarterfinals in Tokyo and Paris.

Philippe Blain, also from France, resigned as Japan head coach after the Paris Olympics.