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Tom Black will not return to Canadian program
OTTAWA, Canada, November 26,
2020 - Coach Tom Black has decided to step down as Canada’s
women’s national volleyball team head coach.
Scheduling conflicts with his
job as head coach of the University of Georgia Bulldogs and
family considerations were key factors.
“This is a sad day for me. When
I considered our young family as well as the changes in the NCAA
schedule due to the pandemic, I realized it would be impossible
for me to lead the two programs in the manner they deserve and
require,” explains Black. “I am so proud of what we were able to
accomplish and how we went about it. There were many
relationships formed I will always treasure. Canada will have a
strong team heading into VNL and I will always look to support
the program however I can.”
Under Black’s guidance, the
women’s team qualified for FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL)
for the first time after winning the qualifying tournament in
2019.
"I would like to thank
Volleyball Canada leadership including Mark Eckert, Julien
Boucher, Kerry MacDonald, our incredible women’s national team
staff and most importantly our players for an experience I’ll
never be able to put into words. I would also like to thank Greg
McGarity, Stephanie Ransom and Rhonda Kilpatrick for their
support at UGA in allowing this opportunity to occur."
The Bulldogs coach since
December 2016 and former assistant coach for the United States
national team, Black took over the Canadian program in May 2019.
Black was previously the head
coach of the Loyola Marymount University women’s volleyball
team. He was also an assistant with the 2016 Olympic United
States women’s bronze-medal winning team. Before being named as
an assistant with the United States program, Black spent three
consecutive summers as a consultant coach as the national team
prepared for the 2012 London Games. He held various other
positions with collegiate and school programs earlier in his
coaching career with both men’s and women’s teams.
Canada’s women’s team, which is
based in Richmond, B.C., missed qualifying for the 2020
Olympics. VNL is set to resume in 2021, with the women scheduled
to host in Ottawa.
"Volleyball Canada thanks Tom
for his contribution to the program and we wish him the best
with future endeavors," said Julien Boucher, high performance
director for Volleyball Canada’s indoor programs.
"We are currently finalizing our
plan to ensure that the women’s program has continued strong
leadership in 2021 and beyond looking ahead to Olympic
qualification for 2024. Tom helped lay the foundation and we are
grateful for his strong leadership in the time he spent at the
helm of the women’s team." |