COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Dec. 22, 2021) – USA Volleyball is happy to announce that it has renewed the contracts of indoor U.S. National Team head coaches Karch Kiraly and John Speraw to contracts through 2024.
Kiraly became the Women’s National Team head coach in September 2012 after serving as its assistant coach from 2009-12.
In the previous five years, Kiraly led the U.S. Women win their first ever Olympic gold medal in Tokyo. The U.S. Women are also the three-time defending champions of the FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL), and they took silver at the 2019 FIVB World Cup. They are ranked No. 1 in the world.
During his first Olympic quad with the team, Kiraly helped the U.S. Women to the 2014 FIVB World Championship title and the 2016 Olympic bronze medal.
Kiraly said that 13 minutes after winning the gold medal in Tokyo, he was already thinking about what the team might look like in Paris.
“Making history in Tokyo was immensely rewarding,” Kiraly said. “It gets me hungry for more, as it does for everyone in our program. I love this job, because I get the daily privilege of working with people I love; people of high character who are committed to learning and to pursuing epic team performance. I am honored and thrilled to get to do it for another three years.”
Speraw became the Men’s National Team head coach early in 2013 after serving as an assistant since 2007.
Since 2015, the U.S. Men have won bronze at the Rio Olympic Games and bronze and silver respectively at the 2018 and 2019 VNL tournaments. They took bronze at the 2018 FIVB World Championship and the 2019 World Cup.
Prior to the Rio Olympic Games, Speraw led the U.S. Men to victories at the 2014 FIVB World League and the 2015 World Cup.
“It is a tremendous honor to represent Team USA,” Speraw said. “I love working with these athletes. It’s a unique environment. On Team USA, you can develop really good relationships with guys because they can be in the gym a long time.
“Finally, we didn’t do very well in Tokyo, so I want to make it right. I want to get back out there and give it another shot.”
“I am happy that Karch and John have agreed to lead our national teams for the Paris quad,” said Jamie Davis, USA Volleyball President and CEO. “The momentum that the women have coming off their first ever gold medal is immense, and I know that under Karch’s leadership they will be contenders in 2024.
“The men experienced some unique challenges in 2021 yet under John’s stewardship have performed well for many years leading up to 2021. I believe that John has what it takes to lead the men to medal contention three years from now.”
The Olympic Games in Paris are scheduled for July 26-Aug. 11, 2024.